EFFECT OF RETINOL ON CHROMATIN STRUCTURE IN SERTOLI CELLS - 1,10-PHENANTHROLINE INHIBIT THE INCREASED DNASE-I SENSITIVITY INDUCED BY RETINOL

We studied the effect of retinol (10 mu M) pretreatment for 24 h on ch romatin sensitivity to DNAse I digestion. We used cultured Sertoli cel ls isolated from 15-day-old Wistar rats, and found that retinol treatm ent increased the chromatin sensitivity. Simultaneous treatment with r etinol and 1,10 phenanthroline (100 mu M), a non-lethal Fe(II) chelato r, also inhibited the rise in DNAse I sensitivity induced by retinol. The effect observed with 1,10 phenanthroline and our previous work tak en together may suggest a possible involvement of Fenton chemistry rea ction in the heightened chromatin sensitivity to DNAse I in retinol-tr eated Sertoli cells.