title: Effect of diethylstilbestrol on polyamine metabolism in hamster epididymis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of diethylstilbestrol (DES), one of the most potent endocrine disruptors, on the metabolism of polyamines in hamster epididymis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male golden hamsters of 7-week-old were kept under a light and dark cycle of 14 h and 10 h for 1 week to stimulate maximally the gonadal function. DES was injected subcutaneously at doses of 0.01 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1), 0.1 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1) and 1 mg . kg(-1) . day(-1) for one week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DES treatment caused a significant decrease in the weight of epididymis. The activity of epididymal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) increased 1 day after DES treatment, kept at a high level for 4 days and then decreased to nearly normal level at day 7. The activity of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) also increased transiently after DES treatment. The contents of putrescine, spermidine, spermine and N(1)-acetylspermidine were increased 1 day approximately 4 days after DES treatment and restored to normal at day 7. All these changes showed a marked difference between the caput and the cauda.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The polyamine biosynthesis in the hamster epididymis can be affected by DES, a xenoestrogen. DES may probably affect polyamine metabolism in the epididymis by regulating the rate-limiting enzymes involved in the polyamine biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Mibu, 321-0293 Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Chun-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohe
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D011073:Polyamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000378:metabolism; D013095:Spermidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D013096:Spermine / Q000378:metabolism; D000099228:Diamine N-Acetyltransferase
chemical_list: D000123:Acetyltransferases; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol; D009955:Ornithine Decarboxylase; D011073:Polyamines; D011700:Putrescine; D013095:Spermidine; D013096:Spermine; D000099228:Diamine N-Acetyltransferase; C017988:N(1)-acetylspermidine