title: Zeranol induces deleterious effects on the testes and the prostate gland of mature rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endocrine disrupters have been shown to affect the male and female reproductive systems and to alter potential fertility.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a continuous-release pellet containing 12 mg of zeranol for 30 days on the testes and the prostate gland of mature male rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Zeranol treatment induced significant decrease of the testes and the prostate gland weights which were associated with a remarkable atrophy of the testicular seminiferous tubules and prominent regression of the glandular compartment of the prostate gland. However, zeranol treatment increased the thickness of the periductal layer of stromal cells of the prostate gland from a thin layer that express intense immunostaining of SM-actin and mild vimentin to a thicker layer of cells that exhibited intense immunostaining for both SM-actin and vimentin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that zeranol-induced changes to the prostate gland could result from either a direct effect of zeranol on the prostate gland or an indirect effect by interfering with testosterone production through disruption of testicular function.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive and Molecular Endocrinology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University , 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH , USA.
authors.forename: Falah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shidaifat
authors.forename: Samuel K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kulp
authors.forename: Young C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011467:Prostate / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011912:Rats, Inbred ACI; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis; D015029:Zeranol / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D014746:Vimentin; D013739:Testosterone; D015029:Zeranol