The effect of DDT and its metabolite (DDE) on prostaglandin secretion from epithelial cells and on contractions of the smooth muscle of the bovine oviduct in vitro

The insecticide DDT and its metabolite (DDE), due to their lipolytic nature and resistance to biodegradation, are accumulated in the living tissues. In cows, DDT and DDE were found to affect prostaglandin (PG) secretion from the endometrium and contractions of the myometrium. In this study, the impact of both xenobiotics (0.1, 1, 10 or 100ng/ml) on the function of epithelial cells and muscle strips of bovine oviducts from 1 to 5day of the oestrous cycle was examined. Therefore the concentration of PGE2 and PGFM (a metabolite of PGF2α) in culture media, mRNA expression of genes involved in PGs synthesis in epithelial cells and the force and amplitude of strips contractions were measured after 2 and 24 or 48h of incubation. Neither DDT nor DDE affected the viability of cells after 48h (P>0.05). Both DDT and DDE increased the concentrations of PGFM in culture medium and secretion of PGE2 after only 2h of cell culture (P<0.05). Similar effects were seen for the influence of DDE on amount of PGFM after 48h, while DDT decreased secretion of PGE2 (P<0.05). DDT after 2h increased (P<0.05) mRNA expression of PGF2α synthase (PGFS), while both xenobiotics decreased (P<0.05) mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) after 24h. DTT also increased the force of isthmus contractions after 2h, as did both xenobiotics after 48h (P<0.05). Moreover, after 2 and 48h, DDE stimulated the amplitude of contractions of the isthmus as well as the ampulla, (P<0.05). The effect of both compounds on oviduct contractions was diminished by indomethacin, which blocks PG synthesis. We conclude that oviductal secretion of prostaglandins is affected, by DDT and DDE. The influence of these xenobiotics on PGF2α and PGE2 secretion and ratio may be part of the mechanism by which both DDT and its metabolite disturb the contractions of oviductal muscle.