Embryonic Benzo[a]pyrene Exposure Induces Multigenerational Reproductive Effects on Adult Male Medaka: Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Insights.

ABSTRACT: Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, poses a significant threat to male reproductive health, but the underlying latent molecular mechanisms remain virtually unknown. This study investigated the effects of embryonic B[a]P exposure on testicular function and spermatogenesis in F0 and F1 adult male medaka (Oryzias latipes). Embryos were exposed to sublethal concentrations (2.5, 20, and 80 μg/L) for 8 days and then raised in clean water until they reached adulthood. Transcriptomic analysis of F0 testicular tissues revealed widespread dysregulation of critical pathways. Exposure impaired the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis by disrupting GnRH signaling and downregulating genes encoding key steroidogenic enzymes (CYP17A1, HSD3B2), indicating suppressed t

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12567718 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature