Kim YB, Cheon YP, Choi D, Lee SH. Adverse Effect of Nonylphenol on the Reproductive System in F2 Male Mice : A Qualitative Change?
Dev Reprod 2019;
23:255-262. [PMID:
31660452 PMCID:
PMC6812968 DOI:
10.12717/dr.2019.23.3.255]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported negative effects of low-dose nonylphenol (NP) exposure on
the reproductive organs of F1 male mice. In the present study was further
investigated the endocrine disrupting effect of NP exposure to F2 generation
male mice. Mice were divided into 2 groups; (1) CON, control animals and (2)
NP-50 (50 μg/L), animals were treated with NP via drinking water. NP
exposures were continuously conducted from parental pre-mating period until the
postnatal day (PND) 55 of F2 offsprings. Mice were sacrificed on PND 55 and the
reproductive tissue weights were measured. The initial (at PND 21) and terminal
(PND 55) body weights of the NP-50 group animals were not significantly
different from those of control group animals. NP exposure fail to induce a
significant weight change of the testes, seminal vesicle and prostate except
absolute epididymal weight (p<0.05). However,
pathohistological studies revealed that NP-treated F2 animals showed evident
decrease in seminiferous tubule diameters, reduced luminal area and number of
germ cells. Also, sloughing morphologies in the tubules were notable. In the
caudal epididymis, fewer mature sperms and swollen epithelial cells were found
in the NP-treated group. The present study demonstrated that the subchronic
low-dose NP exposure induced pathohistological abnormalities in testis and
epididymis of F2 mice, and we assumed that these ‘qualitative’
changes in reproductive tissues could be derived from the epigenetic
modifications such as DNA methylation, histone modification, altered DNA
accessibility and chromatin structure. Further studies are needed to achieve a
better understanding on the multi- or trans-generational effects of NP on
the reproductive health and a human application.
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