title: Long-term dose-dependent response of Mequindox on aldosterone, corticosterone and five steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in the adrenal of male rats.
abstract: Mequindox (MEQ) is a synthetic quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides (QdNOs) derivative which can effectively improve growth and feed efficiency in animals. This study was to investigate the dose-dependent long-term toxicity in the adrenal of male rats exposed to 180 days of MEQ feed. Our data demonstrated that high doses of MEQ in the diet for 180 days led to adrenal damage and steroid hormone decrease, combined with sodium decrease and potassium increase in rat plasma. Significant changes of GSH and SOD in plasma were observed in the high doses (110, 275 mg/kg) groups. At the same doses, MEQ treatment down-regulated the mRNA levels of CYP11A1, CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 which located in mitochondria, but up-regulated mRNA levels of CYP21 and 3beta-HSD which located in endoplasmic reticulum. In conclusion, we reported the dose-dependent long-term toxicity of MEQ on adrenal gland in male rats, which raise awareness of its toxic effects to animals and consumers, and its mechanism may involve in oxidative stress and steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU), Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan 430070, PR China. huangxj554@sohu.com
authors.forename: Xian-Ju
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Awais
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihsan
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meng-Hong
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Yu-Lian
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shi-Jia
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xi-Juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Zong-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C545385:Mequindox; D011810:Quinoxalines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013256:Steroids; D000450:Aldosterone; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D003345:Corticosterone