Reproductive disorders in pubertal and adult phase of the male rats exposed to vinclozolin during puberty.
Vinclozolin (VCZ) is a systemic dicarboximide fungicide with antiandrogenic activity. Reproductive toxicity of VCZ was investigated in male rats exposed to VCZ during puberty. Sprague-Dawley male rats aged with 35 days were assigned to six different groups; negative control, positive control receiving flutamide (100 mg/kg), VCZ (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg), and a combination of VCZ (200 mg/kg) + methyltestosterone (100 mg/kg). The animals were treated with test compounds by oral gavage daily during 35 to 44 days of age. In pubertal rats sacrificed on the next day after final treatment, VCZ or flutamide-treated group showed a decrease in weights of prostate, epididymis, and seminal vesicle, hypertrophy of Leydig cells in the testis, detached debris and sloughed cells in the tubules of the caput epididymis, and an increase in serum testosterone levels. On the other hand, combined treatment of VCZ + methyltestosterone decreased testicular weight, increased seminal vesicle weight, and induced degeneration of spermatocytes. In adult rats sacrificed at five weeks after final treatment, flutamide decreased testicular sperm counts, and VCZ, flutamide and VCZ + methyltestosterone also decreased epididymal sperm counts. In addition, treatment of VCZ (400 mg) or VCZ + methyltestosterone decreased some motion kinematic parameters of sperms including curvilinear velocity, mean angular displacement and lateral head displacement. Flutamide treatment also decreased lateral head displacement. These results indicate that VCZ exposure during pubertal period in male rats causes reproductive disorders in puberty and adulthood.
Yu
Wook Joon
WJ
College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
Lee
Beom Jun
BJ
Nam
Sang Yoon
SY
Ahn
Byeongwoo
B
Hong
Jin Tae
JT
Do
Jae Cheul
JC
Kim
Young Cheul
YC
Lee
Yong Soon
YS
Yun
Young Won
YW
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D005485:Flutamide / Q000633:toxicity; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000633:toxicity; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000662:veterinary; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D010080:Oxazoles; D013739:Testosterone; D005485:Flutamide; C025643:vinclozolin; D008777:Methyltestosterone