Effects of progesterone on benzene toxicity in rats.

Benzene is a frequently used industrial solvent. Its toxic manifestations could be modified by sex hormones, but mechanisms of their action are poorly understood. We have examined the influence of progesterone on lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde), reduced glutathione (GSH), and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in the liver and kidneys of female rats. Progesterone applied to benzene-treated rats inhibited the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but in ovariectomised benzene-treated rats it significantly increased GSH in the liver. No improvement in CYP2E1 activity was observed in progesterone treated rats. Our results evidence that progesterone changes benzene toxicity (generation of ROS, oxidative stress). However, the probable antioxidative effect of progesterone needs to be confirmed by further studies.