title: Repeated exposures of the male Sprague Dawley rat reproductive tract to environmental toxicants: Do earlier exposures to di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) alter the effects of later exposures?
abstract: Although exposures to environmental toxicants occur throughout life, little attention has been paid to the possible effects of exposures early in life on later exposure effects. We asked whether DEHP administered in utero (GD14-parturition) affects how male rats respond to later exposures. Neither in utero nor juvenile (PND21-35) exposures to 100mg/kg/day DEHP affected testis weight or histology as assessed on PND35. However, after in utero DEHP, subsequent juvenile exposure resulted in significantly reduced testis weight and altered testicular histology. Both in utero and juvenile exposures resulted in significant reductions in serum testosterone, but there was no effect of earlier on later exposure. Whether or not there had been in utero DEHP exposure, juvenile DEHP exposure had no effect on body, kidney or liver weights. These observations indicate that in utero exposure can, but will not necessarily, alter later exposure effects, with outcomes dependent upon endpoints measured and dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, NC 27909, United States. Electronic address: ktraore@campbell.edu.
authors.forename: Kassim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Traore
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of the McGill University, Health Centre and Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Martinez-Arguelles
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of the McGill University, Health Centre and Departments of Medicine, Biochemistry, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
authors.forename: Haolin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
authors.forename: Barry R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Zirkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate / Q000633:toxicity*; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010968:Plasticizers / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010968:Plasticizers; D013739:Testosterone; D004051:Diethylhexyl Phthalate
keywords: Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP); Endocrine disruptors; Environmental toxicants; Leydig cells; Testosterone