title: Involvement of the Fas and Fas ligand in testicular germ cell apoptosis by zearalenone in rat.
abstract: Zearalenone (ZEA), a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin, is known to cause testicular toxicity in animals. In the present study, the effects of ZEA on spermatogenesis and possible mechanisms involved in germ cell injury were examined in rats. Ten-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 5 mg/kg i.p. of ZEA and euthanized 3, 6, 12, 24 or 48 h after treatment. Histopathologically, spermatogonia and spermatocytes were found to be affected selectively. They were TUNEL-positive and found to be primarily in spermatogenic stages I-VI tubules from 6 h after dosing, increasing gradually until 12 h and then gradually decreasing. Western blot analysis revealed an increase in Fas and Fas ligand (Fas-L) protein levels in the ZEAtreated rats. However, the estrogen receptor (ER)alpha expression was not changed during the study. Collectively, our data suggest that acute exposure of ZEA induces apoptosis in germ cells of male rats and that this toxicity of ZEA is partially mediated through modulation of Fas and Fas-L systems, though ERalpha may not play a significant role.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea.
authors.forename: Youngheun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.forename: Eun Mi
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Eun Sang
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hwa Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000633:toxicity*; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000276:immunology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013090:Spermatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D015025:Zearalenone / Q000633:toxicity*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C505662:Faslg protein, rat; D019014:fas Receptor; D015025:Zearalenone
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