Effects of di-iso-butyl phthalate on testes of prepubertal rats and mice.
Di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), a special plasticizer, is used as a substitute for di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP). The effects of DiBP on testes in prepubertal rodents still remain to be obscure. Testicular toxicity of DiBP was investigated in 21-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6N mice, using with in situ TUNEL method. For an acute exposure experiment, animals were once given DiBP at various concentrations by oral gavage. For a subchronic exposure experiment, they were daily given DiBP at various concentrations for consecutive 7 days. Controls were treated with corn oil under the same condition. For a recovery experiment, rats were once given DiBP (1000 mg/kg), and were sacrificed at day 1 to 8 after administration. Furthermore, the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells after daily administration of DiBP (500 mg/kg) for consecutive 7 days in rats also identified by immunohistochemistry using anti-vimentin antibody. As a result, the present study demonstrated that DiBP can induce testicular atrophy in rats due to the increase of TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells in both acute and subchronic exposure experiments. At the same time, the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells was recognized. However, no such damages could be found in mouse testis. For the recovery experiment, the testis weight and testicular morphology returned to normal at day 6 after administration. In conclusion, the present study indicates that DiBP causes the significant increase of TUNEL-positive spermatogenic cells and the disorder of vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells in rats and that DiBP shows a species-specific toxicity.
Zhu
Xiao Bo
XB
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.
Tay
Tat Wei
TW
Andriana
Bibin Bintang
BB
Alam
Mohammad Shah
MS
Choi
Ehn Kyoung
EK
Tsunekawa
Naoki
N
Kanai
Yoshiakira
Y
Kurohmaru
Masamichi
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
D003993:Dibutyl Phthalate; C025605:diisobutyl phthalate