title: Low dose bisphenol A impairs spermatogenesis by suppressing reproductive hormone production and promoting germ cell apoptosis in adult rats.
abstract: Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogenic chemical, has been shown to reduce sperm count; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Herein, we show that oral administration of BPA (2 µg/kg) for consecutive 14 days in adult rats (BPA rats) significantly reduced the sperm count and the number of germ cells compared to controls. The serum levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), as well as the level of GnRH mRNA in BPA rats were lower than those of control rats. Testosterone treatment could partially rescue the reduction of germ cells in BPA rats. Notably, the number of apoptotic germ cells was significantly increased in BPA rats, which was insensitive to testosterone. Furthermore, the levels of Fas, FasL and caspase-3 mRNA in the testicle of BPA rats were increased in comparison with controls. These results indicate that exposure to a low dose of BPA impairs spermatogenesis through decreasing reproductive hormones and activating the Fas/FasL signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China; ; Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, China; ; Department of Physiology, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
authors.forename: Pengpeng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Yinyang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Yingchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: apoptosis; bisphenol A (BPA); spermatogenesis; testosterone
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