A STUDY OF GENDER, STRAIN AND AGE-DIFFERENCES IN MOUSE-LIVER GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE

The hepatic cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in four strains of the mouse and one strain of the rat was studied with the s ubstrates 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenz ene (DCNB), ethachrynic acid (ETHA), cumene hydroperoxide (CU) and atr azine as the in vitro substrates, In the mouse, significant gender, st rain and age-related differences in the GST activity towards CDNB and atrazine were found between adolescent and sexually mature males and f emales of the CD-1, C57BL/6, DBA/2 and Swiss-Webster strains, and the differences were larger with atrazine as the substrate, With DCNB and CU a similar tendency was observed, however not significant for all st rains, The GST activity towards ETHA was also gender and strain specif ic, but revealed no age-related differences. The herbicide atrazine se ems to be a useful substrate in the study of strain and age-related di fferences in the mouse GST class Pi.