Comparative effects of endrin on hepatic lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, and nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages from C57BL/6J and DBA/2 mice.

1. Endrin is a polyhalogenated cyclic hydrocarbon which produces hepatic and neurologic toxicity. In order to further assess the mechanism of toxicity of endrin, the dose-dependent effects of endrin on hepatic lipid peroxidation and DNA damage, and nitric oxide (NO) production by peritoneal exudate cells (primarily macrophages) were investigated in C57BL/6J and DBA/2 mice which vary at the Ah receptor genetic locus. C57BL/6J mice are dioxin-responsive, while DBA/2 mice are dioxin-insensitive. 2. Mice of both strains were treated with 0, 1, 2 or 4 mg endrin kg-1 as a single oral dose in corn oil, and the animals were killed 24 hr post-treatment. At doses of 1, 2 and 4 mg endrin kg-1 in C57BL/6J mice, hepatic mitochondrial lipid peroxidation increased 1.2-, 2.2- and 3.2-fold, respectively, and 1.8-, 2.3- and 3.5-fold with microsomes, respectively. At these same doses in DBA/2 mice, hepatic mitochondrial lipid peroxidation increased 1.3-, 2.0- and 2.6-fold, respectively, and 1.5-, 1.9- and 2.5-fold with microsomes, respectively. 3. Increases of 2.3-, 2.4- and 4.9-fold were observed in hepatic DNA damage (elution constants) in C57BL/6J mice at doses of 1, 2 and 4 mg endrin kg-1, respectively, while at these same three doses, increases of 1.9-, 2.1- and 2.3-fold were observed for DBA/2 mice, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)