Effect of structurally diverse peroxisome proliferators on rat hepatic sulfotransferase

Exposure to perfluorocarboxylic acids, pthalate esters, and some hypolipidemic agents results in the proliferation of peroxisomes in the rodent liver. The structural diversity of these compounds suggests mechanistic diversity in their toxicity as well. To establish reliable biomarkers of peroxisome proliferation (PP) in compounds with distinct chemical toxicities, this study investigated the effect of in vivo exposure to perfluoro-n-octanoic acid, perfluoro-n-decanoic acid, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and clofibrate on two-dimensional electrophoretic protein patterns of rat hepatic sulfotransferases, ST1A1, ST1C1 and ST2A1. After exposure to peroxisome proliferative doses, both ST1A1 and ST1C1 abundance in whole liver homogenates was significantly reduced, but only as a result of perfluorocarboxylic and exposure. The well-established PPs, DEHP and clofibrate had no effect on sulfotransferase expression whatsoever. The observed down-regulation of these STs is significant with respect to their normal detoxication activities and its potential correlation to carcinogenesis warrants further study. The present investigation supports previous studies that demonstrate the unique features of perfluorocarboxylic acid toxicity, relative to classic peroxisome proliferators and endorses the continued use of 2D protein-mapping of Sts and other proteins as biomarkers of chemical toxicity.