Effects of Perinatal Exposure to Benzo(a)pyrene on the Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylase System of Adult Rat Liver

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Abstract
Early exposure to benzo(a)pyrene, B(a)P, produces long-lasting effects on the cytochrome P-450 dependent monooxygenase system of rat liver microsomes. Adult male offspring of rats given B(a)P, 20 mg/kg i.p. during late pregnancy, showed either a small but significant depression of basal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity or an impaired induction response to B(a)P. Few significant changes were found in the relative amounts of the individual metabolites formed from B(a)P by microsomes from perinatally exposed rats, either in the basal or B(a)P-induced state. In addition, perinatal exposure to B(a)P tended to decrease the binding of B(a)P to calf thymus DNA in in vitro incubations.