Effects of pesticides on 3H-dihydrotestosterone binding to cytosol proteins from various tissues of the mouse.

These in vitro studies, utilizing cytosols prepared from various tissues (viz. anterior prostate gland, seminal vesicle, kidney and liver) taken from mice 3 days post-castration, were undertaken in order to determine whether or not certain pesticides could alter the binding of 3H-DHT to cytosolic androgen binding components. Estrone, cyproterone acetate, and unlabeled DHT were employed to confirm the presence of specific 3H-DHT binding components in the cytosols. The effects of various pesticides on 3H-DHT binding in these tissue cytosols were then assessed. Parathion (10(-8)--10(-5) M) was found to be an effective inhibitor of total 3H-DHT binding in the prostate, seminal veiscle, kidney and liver. This organophosphate was unable to compete with 3H-DHT for cytosol binding sites in the intestine. Similar in vitro binding studies using dieldrin, DDT, or carbaryl failed to reveal any interference with 3H-DHT binding in any of the tissue studied. The mechanism of parathion's interference with 3H-DHT binding is unclear.