Neonatal exposure to endocrine disruptors suppresses juvenile testis weight and steroidogenesis but spermatogenesis is considerably restored during puberty.
Neonatal exposure to endocrine disruptors induces developmental abnormalities in the male reproductive system. As to investigate whether neonatal exposure affects spermatogenesis in juvenile and pubertal testes, Sprague-Dawley rat pups were given various endocrine disruptors by a single injection on the day of birth at concentrations ranging between 4 microM and 40 mM and sacrificed on day 21 (juvenile) or 50 (puberty). The testes were weighed and examined histologically at each stage. Further, the metabolites of steroidogenesis were analyzed using normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Neonatal exposure significantly reduced testis weights and steroid biosynthesis of juveniles, but they were highly restored at puberty.
Kuwada
Masahiro
M
Department of Biochemistry, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-0829, Japan. kuwada@med.kitasato-u.ac.jp
Kawashima
Rei
R
Nakamura
Kazuo
K
Kojima
Hisako
H
Hasumi
Hideyo
H
Maki
Jun
J
Sugano
Sachiko
S
D000728:Androgens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
D000728:Androgens