Expression and distribution of cytochrome P450 2E1 in B6C3F1 mouse liver and testes

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is believed to have a significant role in the bioactivation of 1,3-butadiene (BD) to DNA reactive epoxide metabolites tha t induce somatic and germ cell genotoxicity in mice. To assess the potentia l role of in situ bioactivation of BD by mouse testes for inducing germ cel l genotoxicity, the presence of CYP2E1 in testes has been demonstrated by r everse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunoprecipitatio n-Western blotting methods (IP-Western) and immunohistochemistry of tissue sections. Detection of CYP2E1 in the testes was limited to interstitial cel ls. In liver a known site of BD bioactivation and a positive control tissue used for these studies, a discrete, zonal staining pattern of liver CYP2E1 expression detected by immunohistochemical staining was shown. These resul ts suggest that in situ bioactivation of BD in testes by CYP2E1 may contrib ute to BD-induced germ cell genotoxicity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.