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Amato CM, Yao HHC. Developmental and sexual dimorphic atlas of the prenatal mouse external genitalia at the single-cell level. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2103856118. [PMID: 34155146 PMCID: PMC8237666 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2103856118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Birth defects of the external genitalia are among the most common in the world. Proper formation of the external genitalia requires a highly orchestrated process that involves special cell populations and sexually dimorphic hormone signaling. It is clear what the end result of the sexually dimorphic development is (a penis in the male versus clitoris in the female); however, the cell populations involved in the process remain poorly defined. Here, we used single-cell messenger RNA sequencing in mouse embryos to uncover the dynamic changes in cell populations in the external genitalia during the critical morphogenetic window. We found that overall, male and female external genitalia are largely composed of the same core cellular components. At the bipotential stage of development (embryonic day or E14.5), few differences in cell populational composition exist between male and female. Although similar in cell population composition, genetic differences in key sexual differentiation developmental pathways arise between males and females by the early (E16.5) and late (E18.5) differentiation stages. These differences include discrete cell populations with distinct responsiveness to androgen and estrogen. By late sexual differentiation (E18.5), unique cell populations in both male and female genitalia become apparent and are enriched with androgen- and estrogen-responsive genes, respectively. These data provide insights into the morphogenesis of the external genitalia that could be used to understand diseases associated with defects in the external genitalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro Maurizio Amato
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Humphrey Hung-Chang Yao
- Reproductive Developmental Biology Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
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Zhang L, Ding S, Qiao P, Dong L, Yu M, Wang C, Zhang M, Zhang L, Li Y, Tang N, Chang B. n-butylparaben induces male reproductive disorders via regulation of estradiol and estrogen receptors. J Appl Toxicol 2016; 26:1223-1234. [DOI: 10.1002/jat.3291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health; National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 29 Nanwei Road , Xicheng district Beijing 100050 China
| | - Sijin Ding
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health; National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 29 Nanwei Road , Xicheng district Beijing 100050 China
| | - Peihuan Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health; National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 29 Nanwei Road , Xicheng district Beijing 100050 China
| | - Li Dong
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Miao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health; National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 29 Nanwei Road , Xicheng district Beijing 100050 China
| | - Chong Wang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Yimin Li
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Ning Tang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology; Institute of Environmental Health and Related Product Safety, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 7 Panjiayuan nanli , Chaoyang district Beijing 100021 China
| | - Bing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Safety and Health; National Institute of Occupational Health and Poison Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; No. 29 Nanwei Road , Xicheng district Beijing 100050 China
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Increased gene copy number of VAMP7 disrupts human male urogenital development through altered estrogen action. Nat Med 2014; 20:715-24. [PMID: 24880616 PMCID: PMC4283218 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vesicle transport is intimately connected with key nuclear functions and transcriptional regulation. Here, children born with congenital genitourinary tract masculinization disorders were analyzed by array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization, which revealed the presence of de novo copy number gains on Xq28 encompassing the VAMP7 gene encoding a vesicle-trafficking protein. Humanized VAMP7 BAC transgenic mice displayed cryptorchidism, urethral defects, and hypospadias. Mutant mice exhibited reduced penile length, focal spermatogenic anomalies, diminished sperm motility, and subfertility. VAMP7 colocalized with estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) in the presence of ligand. Elevated levels of VAMP7 markedly intensified ESR1 transcriptional activity by increasing ESR1 protein cellular content upon ligand stimulation and up-regulated the expression of estrogen-responsive genes including ATF3, CYR61, and CTGF, all of which are implicated in human hypospadias. Hence, increased gene dosage of the SNARE protein, VAMP7, enhances estrogen receptor action in male genitourinary tissues, affects the virilization of the reproductive tract, and results in genitourinary birth defects in humans.
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Low androgen induced penile maldevelopment involves altered gene expression of biomarkers of smooth muscle differentiation and a key enzyme regulating cavernous smooth muscle cell tone. J Urol 2013; 192:267-73. [PMID: 24316094 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2013.11.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We determined the effects of low androgens in the neonatal period on biomarkers of smooth muscle cell differentiation, Myh11 and Acta2, and on Pde5A expression in the penis. MATERIALS AND METHODS One-day-old pups were treated daily with the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist antide with or without dihydrotestosterone for 1 to 6 days. Tissues were collected at age day 7 and at adulthood at age 120 days. Penes were examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Testes were assayed for the intratesticular testosterone and steroidogenic enzymes Cyp17α1 and StAR. RESULTS Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist exposure suppressed the neonatal testicular testosterone surge 70% to 80%. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed 80% to 90% reductions in Cyp17α1 and StAR protein, and 40% to 60% reductions in Myh11 and ACTA2 as a result of gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist compared to controls. Dihydrotestosterone co-administration mitigated these decreases. Western blot confirmed the Myh11 decrease at the protein level. Immunohistochemistry of Acta2 confirmed cavernous smooth muscle cell loss at the tissue level. Also, gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist exposure decreased Pde5a expression and dihydrotestosterone co-administration mitigated the decrease. Comparison of data between 2 parts of the penis body (corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum) showed that antagonist induced decreases in Myh11, Acta2 and Pde5a expression occurred only in the corpora cavernosa, implying that the latter is the target site of low androgen action. CONCLUSIONS As evidenced by gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist induced suppression of the neonatal testosterone surge and reduced steroidogenesis, low androgens in the neonatal period altered gene expression of biomarkers of smooth muscle cell differentiation. This led to loss of cavernous smooth muscle cells and consequently to penile maldevelopment.
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Limited effect of testosterone treatment for erectile dysfunction caused by high-estrogen levels in rats. Int J Impot Res 2013; 25:201-5. [PMID: 23636276 DOI: 10.1038/ijir.2013.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 02/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Some studies suggest that high-estrogen levels lead to erectile dysfunction (ED); high-estrogen levels are known to decrease testosterone levels. However, no study has examined whether testosterone replacement can improve the ED induced by high-estrogen levels. We investigated the effects of testosterone on ED caused by high-estrogen levels in rats. Rats were distributed in the following groups: (1) control (vehicle for 2 weeks), (2) the estrogen-treated group (ES; estradiol (3 μg kg(-1) day(-1)) for 2 weeks), and (3) the estrogen- and testosterone-treated group (ES+TE; estradiol (3 μg kg(-1) day(-1)) and testosterone (3 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) for 2 weeks). We measured smooth muscle function via isometric tension and erectile function by measuring the intracavernosal pressure on cavernous nerve stimulation. In the ES group, the contraction of the corpus cavernosum smooth muscle increased in response to noradrenalin, and its relaxation decreased in response to the nitric oxide donor, sodium nitroprusside. Further, the erectile function was significantly decreased. In the ES+TE group, neither smooth muscle function nor erectile function was significantly improved. In conclusion, a high-estrogen milieu affected erectile function in rats, and testosterone treatment did not improve the ED caused by high-estrogen levels.
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Okumu LA, Bruinton S, Braden TD, Simon L, Goyal HO. Estrogen-induced maldevelopment of the penis involves down-regulation of myosin heavy chain 11 (MYH11) expression, a biomarker for smooth muscle cell differentiation. Biol Reprod 2012; 87:109. [PMID: 22976277 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.103556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cavernous smooth muscle cells are essential components in penile erection. In this study, we investigated effects of estrogen exposure on biomarkers for smooth muscle cell differentiation in the penis. Neonatal rats received diethylstilbestrol (DES), with or without the estrogen receptor (ESR) antagonist ICI 182,780 (ICI) or the androgen receptor (AR) agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT), from Postnatal Days 1 to 6. Tissues were collected at 7, 10, or 21 days of age. The smooth muscle cell biomarker MYH11 was studied in depth because microarray data showed it was significantly down-regulated, along with other biomarkers, in DES treatment. Quantitative real time-PCR and Western blot analyses showed 50%-80% reduction (P ≤ 0.05) in Myh11 expression in DES-treated rats compared to that in controls; and ICI and DHT coadministration mitigated the decrease. Temporally, from 7 to 21 days of age, Myh11 expression was onefold increased (P ≥ 0.05) in DES-treated rats versus threefold increased (P ≤ 0.001) in controls, implying the long-lasting inhibitory effect of DES on smooth muscle cell differentiation. Immunohistochemical localization of smooth muscle alpha actin, another biomarker for smooth muscle cell differentiation, showed fewer cavernous smooth muscle cells in DES-treated animals than in controls. Additionally, DES treatment significantly up-regulated Esr1 mRNA expression and suppressed the neonatal testosterone surge by 90%, which was mitigated by ICI coadministration but not by DHT coadministration. Collectively, results provided evidence that DES treatment in neonatal rats inhibited cavernous smooth muscle cell differentiation, as shown by down-regulation of MYH11 expression at the mRNA and protein levels and by reduced immunohistochemical staining of smooth muscle alpha actin. Both the ESR and the AR pathways probably mediate this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Okumu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama 36088, USA
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Simon L, Avery L, Braden TD, Williams CS, Okumu LA, Williams JW, Goyal HO. Exposure of neonatal rats to anti-androgens induces penile mal-developments and infertility comparable to those induced by oestrogens. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 35:364-76. [PMID: 22150386 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01232.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported that oestrogen exposure in neonatal rats induced permanent infertility and malformed penis characterized by fat accumulation, which replaced most of the smooth muscle cells and cavernous spaces in the body of the penis, structures essential for erection. The objective of this study was to determine if reduced androgen production/action in the neonatal period, in the absence of exogenous oestrogen exposure, induces penile deformities similar to those caused by oestrogen. Male rats were treated from postnatal days 1-6 with GnRH antagonist antide (A, 10 mg/kg) or androgen receptor (AR) antagonist flutamide (F, 50 mg/kg) or F + A, with or without AR agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT, 20 mg/kg). For comparison, pups received diethylstilbestrol (DES, 0.1 mg/kg), with or without DHT. Tissues were collected at ages 7 and 12 days and at adulthood. Flutamide alone decreased penile length and weight significantly (p < 0.05), but it caused neither fat accumulation, nor affected fertility (80% vs. 87% in controls). Antide alone reduced penile length and weight significantly, and induced fat accumulation in 4/11 rats and infertility in 13/14 rats. Conversely, all 11 F + A-treated rats, similar to all nine DES-treated rats, had fat accumulation and loss of smooth muscle cells and cavernous spaces in the body of the penis and were infertile. In addition, reductions in penile length and weight were higher than in rats treated with F or A alone. DHT co-administration mitigated penile deformities in the DES group, but did not in the F + A group. Testicular testosterone was reduced by 70-95% at 7 or 12 days of age in all treated groups, except in the F group, which had threefold higher testosterone than controls. Collectively, data unequivocally show that reduced androgen production/action in the neonatal period, in the absence of oestrogen exposure, induces permanent infertility and malformed penis similar to that caused by oestrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Simon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
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The human relevant potency threshold: reducing uncertainty by human calibration of cumulative risk assessments. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2011; 62:313-28. [PMID: 22057094 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2011.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2011] [Revised: 10/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The 2008 National Research Council report "Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment: Tasks Ahead," rejected the underlying premises of TEQ-like approaches - e.g., chemicals are true congeners; are metabolized and detoxified similarly; produce the same biological effects by the same mode of action; exhibit parallel dose response curves - instead asserting that cumulative risk assessment should apply dose addition (DA) to all chemicals that produce "common adverse outcomes" (CAOS). Published mixtures data and a human health risk assessment for phthalates and anti-androgens were evaluated to determine how firmly the DA-CAOS concept is supported and with what level of statistical certainty the results may be extrapolated to lower doses in humans. Underlying assumptions of the DA-CAOS concept were tested for accuracy and consistency against data for two human pharmaceuticals and its logical predictions were compared to human clinical and epidemiological experience. Those analyses revealed that DA-CAOS is scientifically untenable. Therefore, an alternative approach was developed - the Human-Relevant Potency-Threshold (HRPT) - that appears to fit the data better and avoids the contradictions inherent in the DA-CAOS concept. The proposed approach recommends application of independent action for phthalates and other chemicals with potential anti-androgenic properties at current human exposure levels.
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Yonezawa T, Higashi M, Yoshioka K, Mutoh KI. Distribution of Aromatase and Sex Steroid Receptors in the Baculum During the Rat Life Cycle: Effects of Estrogen During the Early Development of the Baculum1. Biol Reprod 2011; 85:105-12. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.089508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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Heath J, Abdelmageed Y, Braden TD, Williams CS, Williams JW, Paulose T, Hernandez-Ochoa I, Gupta R, Flaws JA, Goyal HO. Genetically induced estrogen receptor α mRNA (Esr1) overexpression does not adversely affect fertility or penile development in male mice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 32:282-94. [PMID: 20930192 DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.110.010769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported that estrogen receptor α mRNA (Esr1) or protein (ESR1) overexpression resulting from neonatal exposure to estrogens in rats was associated with infertility and maldeveloped penis characterized by reduced length and weight and abnormal accumulation of fat cells. The objective of this study was to determine if mutant male mice overexpressing Esr1 are naturally infertile or have reduced fertility and/or develop abnormal penis. The fertility parameters, including fertility and fecundity indices, numbers of days from the day of cohabitation to the day of delivery, and numbers of pups per female, were not altered from controls as a result of Esr1 overexpression. Likewise, penile morphology, including the length, weight, and diameter and os penis development, was not altered from controls. Conversely, weights of the seminal vesicles and bulbospongiosus and levator ani (BS/LA) muscles were significantly (P < .05) lower as compared with controls; however, the weight of the testis, the morphology of the testis and epididymis, and the plasma and testicular testosterone concentration were not different from controls. Hence, genetically induced Esr1 overexpression alone, without an exogenous estrogen exposure during the neonatal period, is unable to adversely affect the development of the penis as well as other male reproductive organs, except for limited, but significant, reductions in weights of the seminal vesicles and BS/LA muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Heath
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
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Yang JH, Menshenina J, Cunha GR, Place N, Baskin LS. Morphology of mouse external genitalia: implications for a role of estrogen in sexual dimorphism of the mouse genital tubercle. J Urol 2010; 184:1604-9. [PMID: 20728117 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2010.03.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We examined the role of androgens and estrogens in mammalian sexual differentiation by morphological characterization of adult wt and mutant mouse external genitalia. We tested the hypothesis that external genitalia development depends on androgen and estrogen action. MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied serial sections of the external genitalia of the CD-1 and C57BL6 wt strains of adult mice (Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, Massachusetts). We recorded linear measurements of key structures in each specimen, including the urethra, erectile tissue, bone and cartilage. We used similar methodology to analyze mice mutant for estrogen receptor α (αERKO) and androgen receptor (X(Tfm)/Y) (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine). RESULTS Morphology in X(Tfm)/Y adult murine external genitalia was remarkably similar to that in wt females. Bone and clitoral length was similar in wt females and X(Tfm)/Y mice. Conversely the αERKO clitoris was 59% longer and bone length in αERKO females was many-fold longer than that in female wt mice or X(Tfm)/Y mutants. The αERKO clitoris contained cartilage, which is typical of the wt penis but never observed in the wt clitoris. Serum testosterone was not increased in female αERKO mice 10 days postnatally when sex differentiation occurs, suggesting that masculinization of the αERKO clitoris is not a function of androgen. CONCLUSIONS Masculinization of the αERKO clitoris suggests a role for estrogen in the development of female external genitalia. We propose that normal external genital development requires androgen and estrogen action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Yang
- Division of Pediatric Urology, University of California, San Francisco Children's Hospital, CA 94143, USA
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Miyagawa S, Katsu Y, Ohta Y, Sudo T, Lubahn DB, Iguchi T. Estrogen Receptor ESR1 Is Indispensable for the Induction of Persistent Vaginal Change by Neonatal 5alpha-Dihydrotestosterone Exposure in Mice1. Biol Reprod 2010; 82:497-503. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.081315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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Bond CW, Angeloni NL, Podlasek CA. Analysis of testosterone effects on sonic hedgehog signaling in juvenile, adolescent and adult sprague dawley rat penis. J Sex Med 2009; 7:1116-25. [PMID: 19929920 DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01585.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smooth muscle apoptosis is a major contributing factor to erectile dysfunction (ED) development in prostatectomy and diabetic patients and animal models. A critical regulator of penile smooth muscle and apoptosis is Sonic hedgehog (SHH). The SHH protein is decreased in ED models and SHH treatment of cavernous nerve (CN) injured rats prevents smooth muscle apoptosis. A close association between androgen deficiency and ED has been suggested in the literature, but few studies have examined the molecular effects on penile smooth muscle and on known signaling mechanisms that regulate morphology. Aim. Examine testosterone and SHH interaction in eugonadal adult, adolescent and juvenile rats by performing castration studies and treatment with supraphysiological testosterone. METHODS The eugonadal adult Sprague Dawley rats were either treated with testosterone for 7 or 14 days (N = 14) or were castrated for 4 or 7 days (N = 12). The juvenile rats were treated with testosterone for 8 days (N = 7). The adolescent rats were castrated and sacrificed at P88 (N = 8). The control rats had empty vehicle (N = 22) or sham surgery (N = 20). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The active form of SHH protein and mRNA were quantified by semi-quantitative immunohistochemical analysis and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Testosterone treatment did not alter SHH signaling in juvenile rats. Shh mRNA increased 3.2-fold and SHH protein increased 1.2-fold in rats castrated during puberty. In adult rats, castration decreased Shh mRNA 3.2-fold but did not alter SHH protein. Testosterone supplement in adult rats increased Shh mRNA 2.3-fold and decreased SHH protein 1.3-fold. CONCLUSIONS SHH signaling is independent of testosterone in normal juvenile rats and is sensitive to testosterone during adolescence, while testosterone supplement in the adult adversely impacts SHH signaling in a very similar manner to that observed with CN injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W Bond
- Department of Urology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Mathews E, Braden TD, Williams CS, Williams JW, Bolden-Tiller O, Goyal HO. Mal-development of the penis and loss of fertility in male rats treated neonatally with female contraceptive 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol: a dose-response study and a comparative study with a known estrogenic teratogen diethylstilbestrol. Toxicol Sci 2009; 112:331-43. [PMID: 19729556 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfp207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to find a minimal dose of 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE) that is detrimental to the developing penis and fertility and to compare estrogenic effects between EE and diethylstilbestrol (DES). Neonatal rats received EE at 10 ng (1 microg/kg), 100 ng, 1 microg, or 10 microg per pup on alternate days from postnatal days 1 to 11 (dose-response study) or received EE or DES at 100 ng per pup daily from postnatal days 1 to 6 (comparative study). Effects of EE were dose dependent, with > or = 100-ng dose inducing significant (p < 0.05) reductions in penile length, weight, and diameter. Additionally, the penis was malformed, characterized by underdeveloped os penis and accumulation of fat cells. Fertility was 0% in the > or = 1-microg groups, in contrast to 60% in the 100-ng group and 100% in the 10-ng and control groups. Animals treated with > or = 10 ng had significant reductions in the weight of bulbospongious muscle, testis, seminal vesicle, epididymal fat pad, and in epididymal sperm numbers. A comparison of EE and DES effects showed similar reductions in penile weight and length and the weight of bulbospongiosus muscle, testis, seminal vesicle, epididymis, and epididymal fat pad in both adolescent and adult rats. While 5/6 control males sired, only 1/6 in the EE group and 0/6 in the DES group sired. Hence, neonatal exposure to EE at 10 ng (environmentally relevant dose) adversely affects male reproductive organs. A dose ten times higher than this leads to permanently mal-developed penis and infertility. Furthermore, EE and DES exposures show similar level of toxicity to male reproductive organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ensa Mathews
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama 36088, USA
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