title: The effect of para-nonylphenol on Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) spermatogenesis in vitro.
abstract: Endocrine disrupters have been recognized to interfere with endocrine systems that regulate reproduction, for example, by mimicking or inhibiting the action of endogenous sex steroid hormones including estradiol-17beta (E2). In the present study, we examined the effect of an endocrine disrupter, para-nonylphenol (p-NP) on spermatogenesis, and compared it with the action of E2, using an eel testicular organ culture system. p-NP alone stimulated early spermatogonial renewal in the same manner as E2. Neither induced further progress in spermatogenesis. In the presence of 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT), the major androgen in teleosts, p-NP did not prevent the 11-KT-induced progress in spermatogenesis. However, this treatment enlarged the Sertoli cells. Electron microscopic observation revealed that enlarged Sertoli cells contained well-developed organelles. Moreover, the proportion of germ cells appeared to have decreased as a result of Sertoli cell hypertrophy. These results clearly show that p-NP has an effect on Sertoli cells in the presence of an androgen (11-KT), potentially disturbing 11-KT-induced spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Fish Reproductive Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miura
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000811:Anguilla / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D004958:Estradiol / Q000633:toxicity; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010636:Phenols / Q000633:toxicity*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; C041594:4-nonylphenol; C003600:11-ketotestosterone