title: Comments on Li et al. Effects of in Utero Exposure to Dicyclohexyl Phthalate on Rat Fetal Leydig Cells. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 246.
abstract: Profiling the expression levels of genes or proteins in tissues comprising two or more cell types is commonplace in biological sciences. Such analyses present particular challenges, however, for example a potential shift in cellular composition, or 'cellularity', between specimens. That is, does an observed change in expression level represent what occurs within individual cells, or does it represent a shift in the ratio of different cell types within the tissue? This commentary attempts to highlight the importance of considering cellularity when interpreting quantitative expression data, using the mammalian testis and a recent study on the effects of phthalate exposure on testis function as an example.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Søborg DK-2860, Denmark. tesv@food.dtu.dk.
authors.forename: Terje
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Svingen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010795:Phthalic Acids; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone
chemical_list: D010795:Phthalic Acids; D013739:Testosterone; C036042:dicyclohexyl phthalate