Prenatal exposures to bisphenol A and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate disrupted seminiferous tubular development in growing male rats

Publication date: Available online 29 July 2019Source: Reproductive ToxicologyAuthor(s): Fatma M Abdel-Maksoud, Fatma Abo Zakaib Ali, Benson T AkingbemiAbstractEndocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) are found in the environment due to their use in industrial and manufacturing activities. Exposure of the population to bisphenol A (BPA) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is significant because they are present in many consumer products. EDCs target the reproductive tract because they express high levels of steroid hormone receptors, which act as transcriptional factors to regulate reproductive development. In the present study, timed-pregnant Long-Evans female rats (n = 8-10) were administered BPA and DEHP by oral gavage at 2.5 or 25 µg/kg body weight and 5 or 50 µg/kg body weight, respectively. Exposures to chemicals were limited to the period between gestational days 12 and postnatal day 21 followed by assessment of testicular development in male offspring in the postnatal period. Leydig cells and Sertoli cells are the two major somatic cells present in the testis. The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) steroidogenic enzyme is a marker for Leydig cell maturation, whereas transferrin is a marker for Sertoli cell differentiation. At day 10 post-partum, testes were obtained from cohorts of control and chemical-exposed male rats and processed to measure 17β-HSD and transferrin expression levels in western blots. Compared to control, 17βHSD enzyme protein ...
Source: Reproductive Toxicology - Category: Toxicology Source Type: research