COMPARATIVE-STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE ON GLUTATHIONE AND GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASES IN THE TISSUES OF MALE AND FEMALE CD-1 MICE

1. Male CD-1 mice had about 1.6-fold higher glutathione (GSH), 2-fold higher glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and 2.8-fold higher GS T protein in their livers as compared to the female mice. 2. When mice were fed a diet containing 0.75% BHA for 2 weeks, a 1.8-fold increase was observed in GSH levels of female mice liver as opposed to only 1. 2-fold increase in male mice. BHA caused 10-fold increase in GST activ ity and protein in livers of female mice as compared to only about 3 4 -fold increase in livers of males. Differential induction of GSH and G ST in males and females was also observed in other tissue besides live r but was not as remarkable. 3. Sex-related differences were also obse rved in the induction of the alpha- and mu- and pi-classes of GSTs by BHA; most noticeable being GST pi, which was induced to about 10-fold in female liver as opposed to only 3.4-fold in male liver.