title: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces severe aspermatogenesis in mice, however, subsequent antioxidant vitamins supplementation accelerates regeneration of the seminiferous epithelium.
abstract: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), now regarded as an endocrine disruptor, can experimentally induce spermatogenic disturbance in laboratory animals. Our previous study demonstrated that antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E) supplementation during DEHP-treatment significantly protected the rat seminiferous epithelium from DEHP-gonadotoxicity. In the present study, we gave these antioxidant vitamins to mice already having fully developed aspermatogenesis because of DEHP to determine whether or not the vitamins can cure the injured seminiferous epithelium. CD-1 male mice were fed on a DEHP-containing diet for 15 days and then fed on the DEHP-free normal diet with or without supplementation of vitamins C and E in drinking water for another 50 days. The results showed that severe aspermatogenesis was induced by the DEHP-treatment but that the damaged seminiferous epithelium spontaneously recovered whether the vitamins were provided or not. This indicates that the DEHP-induced aspermatogenesis was reversible. However, the supplementation of antioxidant vitamins significantly accelerated regeneration of the injured seminiferous epithelium, suggesting that the vitamins have a therapeutic effect on DEHP-induced aspermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku 6-1-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
authors.forename: Maira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ablake
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Hayato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terayama
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Sunao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Munekazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Kodo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suna
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jitsunari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine