title: [Studying the lipid peroxidation index, morphology and apoptosis in testis of male BALB/c mice exposed to polybrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the lipid peroxidation and the testicular morphological change induced by decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) in male BALB/c mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty one male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: the high exposure group (500 mg/kg BDE-209), the low exposure group (200 mg/kg BDE-20) and control group (normal saline). The mice were exposed by gavage one time a day for 6 weeks, then were sacrificed. Body weight, testis weight, malonyldialdehyde (MDA), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in testis were examined. The morphological alteration of testis was observed. TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptosis in testicular cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight and testis weight in high and low exposure groups were (21.6140 +/- 2.3550) g, (20.8000 +/- 1.7630) g and (0.1859 +/- 0.0349) g, (0.1718 +/- 0.0266) g, respectively, which were significantly lower than those (27.7570 +/- 1.2880) g and (0.2302 +/- 0.0335) g in the control group (P < 0.05); the testis coefficient in high exposure group was (0.8640% +/- 0.1706%), which was significantly higher than that (0.8329 +/- 0.1386%) in the control group (P < 0.05). The GSH level and SOD activities of testis in 2 BDE-209 groups were 0.044 +/- 0.006, 0.039 +/- 0.005 nmol/mg prot, and 0.735 +/- 0.179, 0.907 +/- 0.198 U/mg prot, respectively, which were significantly lower than those (0.052 +/- 0.067) mol/mg and (1.161 +/- 0.188) U/mg in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of MDA in 2 BDE-209 groups were (2.365 +/- 0.339) and (1.752 +/- 0.366) nmol/mg prot, which were significantly higher than that (1.173 +/- 0.232 nmol/mg prot) in control group (P < 0.05). there were significant differences of SOD and MDA levels between high exposure group and low exposure group (P < 0.05). Histological examination showed that the number of spermatogenic cells and layer were decreased significantly in 2 exposure groups as compared with control group. TUNEL assay showed that apoptosis cells appeared in 2 exposure groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BDE-209 changed lipid peroxidation in male BALB/c mice testis and caused toxic effects on the testis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Xia
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhao-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Shu-Shu
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers