title: Effects of ethanol on embryonic and neonatal rat testes in organ cultures.
abstract: Ethanol exposure in adult animals and humans has shown to elicit significant inhibitory effects on the function of male reproduction, but consequences of ethanol exposure on the embryonic and early postnatal testis development are not known. The current study investigated the effect of ethanol on embryonic and neonatal testis development using an organ culture technique. In embryonic day 13 (E13) testis organ cultures, ethanol had no effect on the testicular cord formation, the expression of Müllerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) in Sertoli cells or the number of gonocytes. Similarly, in the ethanol-treated embryonic day 18 (E18) testes, both the number of gonocytes and the expression of GATA-4 and MIS were similar to those from the control testes. In contrast, in postnatal day 3 (P3) testes, ethanol at concentrations of 150 and 200 mM significantly decreased the number of gonocytes without affecting the expression of GATA-4 and MIS in Sertoli cells. This effect was shown to be resulting from the enhanced apoptosis of gonocytes. In addition, ethanol abnormally activated retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha), as indicated by increased nuclear localization of RARalpha with increasing doses of ethanol treatment. These observations suggest that the effect of ethanol on testis varies at different stages during embryonic and neonatal testis development. Furthermore, germ cells may be the main target for the action of ethanol on the early postnatal testis.
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kwan Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013735:Testicular Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D006023:Glycoproteins; C000607071:RARA protein, human; C000607073:Rara protein, rat; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D013735:Testicular Hormones; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000431:Ethanol; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone