Genetic differences in enzymes associated with peroxisome proliferation and hydrogen peroxide metabolism in inbred...

Enzyme activities relating to H2O2 production (peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase) and degradation (catalase and glutathione peroxidase) were measured in the livers of male mice of the inbred strains C57BL/6J (C57) and C3H/HeJ (C3H) and their F1 hybrid, B6C3F1. Groups of the three genotypes were maintained on either a basal diet or one containing 0.1% of the peroxisome-proliferating agent, nafenopin, for six weeks. In both control and nafenopin-exposed groups, the C57 strain displayed higher acyl-CoA oxidase activity levels than the C3H mice, whereas the activity levels of catalase and glutathione peroxidase were not different for the two inbred strains. The groups of similarly fed B6C3F1 hybrids had intermediate values for acyl-CoA oxidase. Several other parameters relating to peroxisome proliferation did not differ among the three genotypes. Acyl-CoA oxidase levels in cultured hepatocytes from C57 mice were greater than those in hepatocytes obtained from the C3H strain during two days in culture and this difference was maintained for 4 days by nafenopin exposure. Acyl-CoA oxidase is central to the hypothetical H2O2 mechanism of peroxisome proliferator-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and, therefore, the genetic difference documented here may lead to a useful approach in testing this hypothesis.