The blood-testis barrier as a target of some chemotherapeutic agents.
BACKGROUND
Some chemotherapeutic agents induce testicular damage, thereby affecting fertility potential. Two metal-based antineoplastic complexes, titanocene dichloride and budotitane, were used to demonstrate their effects on the blood-testis barrier (BTB).


METHODS
Male mice were treated in vivo with the two titanium compounds and fragments of seminiferous tubules were isolated, closed at both ends, and then incubated in vitro with horseradish peroxidase for 10 and 15 min to test the permeability of the BTB at the ultrastructural level.


RESULTS
Titanocene dichloride disrupted the BTB as shown by the presence of the tracer inside the tubules, contrarily to the results obtained from budotitane-administered animals.


CONCLUSIONS
The toxicity of some metal-based antineoplastic drugs on the BTB may not only affect male reproductive health, but also alert for the possible injury within other biological barriers.
Pereira
M L
ML
Department of Biology, CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal. lpereira@bio.ua.pt
Garcia e Costa
F
F
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001814:Blood-Testis Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D014025:Titanium
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D014025:Titanium; C043899:diethoxy-(1-phenyl-1,3-butanedionato)titanium (IV); D006735:Horseradish Peroxidase; C020528:titanocene dichloride