Effects of intrauterine position on the hepatic microsomal polysubstrate monooxygenase and cytosolic glutathione S-transferase activity, plasma sex steroids and relative organ weights in adult male and female Long-Evans rats.

The intrauterine position of rat fetuses between siblings of the same or opposite sex has been reported to alter sexually dimorphic behavioral and reproductive traits in the adult. The intrauterine fetal position of adult rats is identified by a three letter code as mMm (a male, M, located between two male siblings, m-m) and fFf (a female, F, positioned between two females, f-f). This study sought to determine whether intrauterine location affected the hepatic polysubstrate monooxygenase and glutathione S-transferase activity, plasma sex steroid levels and organ weights in adult Long-Evans rats. The hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content was higher in females located in utero between two male littermates (mFm) than in females positioned between two females (fFf). NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was higher in mMm males (positioned in utero between two males) than in fMf males (males contiguous to two female littermates) and female rats. Hepatic microsomal testosterone 2 alpha- and 6 beta-hydroxylase activity was undetectable in fFf female but both activities were measurable in mFm female rats. Testosterone 7 alpha-hydroxylase and 5 alpha-reductase activity was higher in females than in males, and higher in fFf than in mFm females. Glutathione S-transferase activity was not altered by fetal contiguity in male and female rats. Adult mMm males had a higher plasma testosterone level and relative gonadal weight, and lower plasma estradiol concentration than fMf males. The plasma progesterone concentration of fFf female was lower than that of mFm female rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)