2,4,5 T and the Metabolism of Testosterone-1,2-³H₂ by Mouse Prostate Glands

Abstract

High doses of 2,4,5 trichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4,5 T) (6.25, 12.5, or 25 mg/kg ten times daily) were administered orally to mature male mice. The herbicide 2,4,5 T significantly reduced the assimilation of radioactive androgen by the proslate gland (P ≤ .05). This was reflected not only in a reduction in the total accumulation of testosterone-1,2-³H₂ (T-³H₂) by the prostate gland, but also in a decrease in the levels of its labeled metabolites.

There was no change in the hepatic formation of either polar metabolites or of dihydrotestosterone, androstanediol, or androstenedione from T-³H₂ in the 2,4,5 T treated mice. This pesticide had little or no effect on the weight responses of either the testes or the sex accessory organs. Prostate gland fructose, a chemical indicator of androgenic activity, was not altered by 2,4,5 T treatment.