Studies on the role of the Ah receptor in hexachloro-benzene-induced porphyria

Many of the effects of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) resemble those of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), whose effects are initiated by its binding to the AH receptor, the regulatory gene product of the Ah locus. I investigated the ability of HCB to interact with the AH receptor and the involvement of this protein in HCB-induced porphyria. The induction of two cytochrome P450 isozymes regulated by the Ah locus was also examined in light of their possible role in the pathogenesis of HCB- and TCDD-induced porphyria. HCB competitively inhibited the in vitro specific binding of [3H]-TCDD to the rat hepatic Ah receptor (KI = 2.1 μM) without affecting the solubility of [3H]TCDD. Following the administration of HCB to rats, the number of [3H]TCDD specific binding sites was reduced by up to 40%. HCB induced cytochromes P450b, P450e, P450c, and P450d, confirming that it is a mixed-type P450 inducer. The presence of porphyria in mice was assessed by measuring urinary and hepatic porphyrins and hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity