Induction of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis via CDPcholine pathway in lung and liver of rats following intratracheal administration of DDT and endosulfan

Abstract

The induction of phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis via the CDPcholine pathway in lung and liver of rats has been shown following the intratracheal administration of 1,1,1-trichloro-2m2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDT) (5 mg/100 g body weight) and endosulfan (1 mg/100 g body weight) for 3 days. Controls received only the vehicle solution (groundnut oil, 0.1 m1/100 g body weight). The treatment of DDT and endosulfan significantly increased the PC contents and the incorporation of radioactive [methyl-3H]choline into PC of lung and liver microsomes. The incorporation of radioactive [methyl-14C]methionine into microsomal PC of lung and liver was not affected significantly by treatment with either of the insecticides. 1,4,5,6,7-hexachloro-5-norbornene-2,3-dimethano cyclic sulfite (endosulfan) administration significantly increased the activity of choline kinase and phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (both cytosolic and microsomal) of lung, whereas DDT increased the activity of only latter. In liver, both DDT and endosulfan administration significantly increased the activity of choline kinase and phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (both cytosolic and microsomal). However, the activity of phosphocholinetransferase was not affected in both lung and liver microsomes of rats treated with these insecticides. The PC precursor pool sizes, choline and phosphorylcholine, of lung and liver tissues were not altered by DDT and endosulfan treatments. The present results suggest that the increased level of PC and incorporation of radioactive [methyl-3H]choline into microsomal PC could be the result of increased activity of choline kinase and phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase of lung and liver of rats following intratracheal administration of DDT and endosulfan.