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.