title: Effects of Fetal Exposure to Asian Sand Dust on Development and Reproduction in Male Offspring.
abstract: In recent experimental studies, we reported the aggravating effects of Asian sand dust (ASD) on male reproduction in mice. However, the effects of fetal ASD exposure on male reproduction have not been investigated. The present study investigated the effects of fetal ASD exposure on reproduction in male offspring. Using pregnant CD-1 mice, ASD was administered intratracheally on days 7 and 14 of gestation, and the reproduction of male offspring was determined at 5, 10, and 15 weeks after birth. The secondary sex ratio was significantly lower in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. Histologic examination showed partial vacuolation of seminiferous tubules in immature mice. Moreover, daily sperm production (DSP) was significantly less in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. DSP in the fetal ASD-exposed mice was approximately 10% less than the controls at both 5 and 10 weeks. However, both the histologic changes and the DSP decrease were reversed as the mice matured. These findings suggest that ASD exposure affects both the fetal development and the reproduction of male offspring. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify the onset mechanisms of ASD-induced male fetus death and male reproductive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita 870-1201, Japan. syoshida@oita-nhs.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Sciences, Oita University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Oita 870-1201, Japan. ichinose@oita-nhs.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takamichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichinose
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka 807-8555, Japan. arashi@snow.ocn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arashidani
authors.affiliation: Environment and Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China. hemiao.cmu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Division, Department of Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8540, Japan. htakano@health.env.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. tshibamoto@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibamoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004391:Dust; D005260:Female; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D018811:Maternal Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
keywords: Asian sand dust; daily sperm production; in utero exposure; male reproduction; secondary sex ratio