Effects of prolonged subchronic benzo(α)pyrene exposure on rat liver morphology and CYP1A expression during treatment with menadione, quercetin, or tocopherol

Abstract

Arylamines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous anthropogenic pollutants in the environment. The toxicity of PAHs, which include benzo(α)pyrene (BP), is mediated by the activation of Р450 cytochromes of the 1А subfamily (CYP1A1 and CYP1A2). Previously, we have demonstrated that tocopherol, quercetin, and menadione inhibit the expression and activity of CYP1A in the liver of male Wistar rats after administration of a high BP dose to the rats for 3 days. Here, we confirmed the effects of tocopherol, quercetin, and menadione on the expression and activity of CYP1A and on rat liver morphology during prolonged administration (90 days) of a low BP dose. We revealed that subchronic oral administration of a low BP dose has no influence on CYP1A expression as compared to controls but can cause pathomorphological changes in rat liver tissue. These changes are abrogated by tocopherol, attenuated by quercetin, and enhanced by menadione.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• CYP1A
• PAHs
• benzo(α)pyrene
• tocopherol
• quercetin
• menadione

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Microscopy Center of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences , where microscopy was performed. The authors also acknowledge the Proteomic Analysis Center of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics (the Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine) where PCR and immunoblotting were performed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research [05-04-48327-a] and the Ministry of Science and High Education via the Institute of Cytology and Genetics [0324-2019-0042-C-01].