Project description:The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a well-characterized anti-androgen, abiraterone acetate, and a suspected human anti-androgen, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the androgenic function of human fetal testis. Human fetal testis was xenografted into the renal subcapsular space of castrated male athymic nude mice. Hosts were treated with hCG to stimulate testosterone production in the xenografts, and were concurrently treated with either abiraterone acetate or DBP. While abiraterone acetate (14 d, 75 mg/kg/d p.o.) dramatically reduced testosterone and the weights of androgen-sensitive host organs, DBP (14 d, 500 mg/kg/d p.o.) had no effect on androgenic endpoints. Three paired analyses were performed using the LIMMA package in R (commands lmfit and eBayes), with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons (Smyth 2005): vehicle-treated xenografts vs. unimplanted testis (n=5), abiraterone-treated xenografts vs. matched control xenografts (n=3), and DBP-treated xenografts vs. matched control xenografts (n=3). There were significant differences in gene expression between grafted and ungrafted samples, including dramatic upregulation of microRNAs. Gene expression analysis also showed that abiraterone decreased expression of genes related to cell differentiation, while DBP induced expression of oxidative stress response genes and decreased expression of factors related to embryonic development. 17 xenograft samples were analyzed, including 5 unimplanted samples, 6 vehicle treated xenografts, 3 abiraterone acetate-treated xenografts, and 3 DBP-treated xenografts. Samples were paired (derived from the same donor tissue) for each comparison: vehicle vs. unimplanted (n=5), abiraterone vs. vehicle (n=3), and DBP vs. vehicle (n=3).
Project description:The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a well-characterized anti-androgen, abiraterone acetate, and a suspected human anti-androgen, di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the androgenic function of human fetal testis. Human fetal testis was xenografted into the renal subcapsular space of castrated male athymic nude mice. Hosts were treated with hCG to stimulate testosterone production in the xenografts, and were concurrently treated with either abiraterone acetate or DBP. While abiraterone acetate (14 d, 75 mg/kg/d p.o.) dramatically reduced testosterone and the weights of androgen-sensitive host organs, DBP (14 d, 500 mg/kg/d p.o.) had no effect on androgenic endpoints. Three paired analyses were performed using the LIMMA package in R (commands lmfit and eBayes), with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple comparisons (Smyth 2005): vehicle-treated xenografts vs. unimplanted testis (n=5), abiraterone-treated xenografts vs. matched control xenografts (n=3), and DBP-treated xenografts vs. matched control xenografts (n=3). There were significant differences in gene expression between grafted and ungrafted samples, including dramatic upregulation of microRNAs. Gene expression analysis also showed that abiraterone decreased expression of genes related to cell differentiation, while DBP induced expression of oxidative stress response genes and decreased expression of factors related to embryonic development.
Project description:High dose level dibutyl phthalate (DBP) exposure of fetal rat testes in vivo inhibits testosterone production (i.e. endocrine disruption). Here, fetal testis mRNA levels were profiled following exposure to a DBP dose level that did not significantly reduce testosterone levels. The goal was to identify the constellation of gene expression changes that do not correlate with endocrine disruption.
Project description:The data comes from a study, where three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were exposed to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and 17α ethinyl-oestradiol (EE2) at nominal concentrations 35 μg/L and 40 ng/L, respectively, for four days. The aim of the study was to obtain insight into the acute transcriptional responses putatively associated with endocrine disruption. RNA samples from the testes of eight individuals fish per treatment (including solvent controls, exposed only to DMSO) were used in the microarray analysis, covering the expression of approximately 21000 genes.
Project description:High dose level dibutyl phthalate (DBP) exposure of fetal rat testes in vivo inhibits testosterone production (i.e. endocrine disruption). Here, fetal testis mRNA levels were profiled following exposure to a DBP dose level that did not significantly reduce testosterone levels. The goal was to identify the constellation of gene expression changes that do not correlate with endocrine disruption. Fischer 344 rats were exposed via oral gavage of the dam to vehicle (corn oil) or 50 mg/kg (body weight) DBP daily from gestational day (GD) 12 to 20. The day after mating was defined as gestational day 0. Six hours after the final exposure on GD20, fetal testes were dissected and mRNA levels quantified using Affymetrix Rat Expression 230 2.0 microarrays.
Project description:Aquatic organisms are generally exposed to a mixture of phthalate esters (PAEs) that have been shown to induce reproductive toxicity. However, their potential toxicity mechanisms to aquatic organisms remain unclear. Here male zebrafish were exposed to dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and their mixtures for 30 days, and their effects on plasma sex hormones, testis histology and testis transcriptomics were investigated. DBP, DiBP and their mixtures could induce the disequilibrating ratio of testosterone (T) and plasma estradiol (E2) in plasma. The percentage of spermatozoa (Sz) was significantly decreased by 30.6% under DBP-1133 exposure and 27.8% under Mix-3 exposure, and widen intercellular spaces appeared under DiBP-1038 exposure. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 2795 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the DBP-1133 exposure group, 1613 DEGs in the DiBP-1038 exposure group and 4570 DEGs in the Mix-3 exposure group, indicating that the toxicity of combined exposure was higher than that of single exposure. Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction was associated with the toxicity mechanism of DBP, DiBP and Mix. While GnRH signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway were related to the toxicity mechanism of DBP. ECM-receptor interaction, steroid hormone biosynthesis, retinol metabolism and PPAR signaling pathway were associated with the toxicity mechanism of DiBP and Mix.
Project description:Provided later Pregnant Fisher 344 rats will be purchased from Charles River Laboratories, Inc. and delivered to CIIT on gestational day (GD) 7 (GD0 = day first vaginal plug positive). At gestational day 12 (GD12), the dams will be exposed once/day until GD20 to 50 mg/kg dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in corn oil vehicle via oral gavage. Each dose group will contain 4-6 vehicle control or phthalate treated dams. Groups of animals will be sacrificed at GD20, postnatal day (PND) 35, and PND90 for endpoint analysis. At GD20, treated and control animals will be examined for various endpoints including body weight, testicular histopathology, gene expression profile via microarray analysis, and anogenital distance (AGD). AGD (at parturition; PND1) and nipple number/location (at PND14 and day of sacrifice) will be determined on animals in the postnatal groups. At PND35 or 90, one male from each in utero corn oil vehicle or DBP exposed group will receive a second gavage of either corn oil or 500 mg/kg DBP. 6 hours after the second gavage, the following endpoints will be examined: 1) testis histopathology; 2) spermatid head quantification (PND90 only); 3) testis and body weights; 5) genome-wide gene expression (via microarray); and 6) germ cell apoptosis (TUNEL assay).
Project description:In rodent models, phthalate exposure alters both the fetal and pubertal testis, but the resulting histopathological changes are divergent. This suggests that the underlying molecular and cellular phthalate mechanism may be age-dependent. Using genome-wide expression profiling of acutely-exposed rats, the initial molecular response in pubertal rat testis following in vivo phthalate exposure was determined. For this study, postnatal day 28 rats were exposed to a single dose of 1 g/kg mono-(2-ethyl)hexyl phthalate (MEHP) and assayed at 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 hrs thereafter using Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 Arrays. Keywords: Time course, single dose
Project description:We report the results of an RNA-seq analysis conducted as part of an experiment investigating the effects of the phthalate, mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on cultured fetal mouse testes. The goal of the study was to determine whether fetal testis toxicity of MEHP is partially driven by disruption of retinoic acid signaling.
Project description:The purpose of this study is to assess the potential of TOTM to induce testicular maldevelopment in the rat. We studied the effects of TOTM on the expression of genes in pathways involved in steriodogenesis and testes development. Certain phthalate esters have previously been shown to be involved in the induction of rat testicular mal-development (TMD) through effects on the expression of genes in pathways involved in steroidogenesis and testes development. In order to assess the effects of a potential alternate plasticizer, tris(2-ethylhexyl)trimellitate (TOTM), rats were exposed daily, in utero, to TOTM in order to assess the potential of this compound to induce developmental effects on the fetal testes. Pregnant rats were exposed between gestational day 12 and 19 and fetal testes RNA was analysed using whole genome microarrays. The effects of TOTM on the expression of genes in pathways involved in steroidogenesis and testes development were examined. The effects of TOTM were also compared with di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), mono(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (MEHP), an active metabolite of DEHP, and 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH), which were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. MEHP & DEHP (500mg/kg) caused a repression of genes in TMD pathways involved in cholesterol synthesis and transport (HMGCS, HMGCR, StAR, SCARB1, FDFT1, FDPS), steroidogenesis (Cyp11a, HSD3B1, SC4MOL) and testes development (INSL3, INHA). 2-EH caused minor repression of some of the genes in the TMD pathway. This was rationalised on the basis that 2-EH, a DEHP metabolite, is also a weak PPARα agonist. It has been shown that in utero treatment with DBP will repress the genes from fetal testes involved in steroidogenesis and that this effect is associated with direct DBP-mediated binding of PPARα to the promoters of these genes (Plummer et. al. 2010). TOTM did not cause a significant repression of genes in the TMD pathway. Based on these data, it is highly unlikely that TOTM will cause testicular dysgenesis in rats. Rats were exposed to TOTM in utero by the administration of daily oral gavage doses to pregnant dams between gestational day 12 and 19. The foetal testes were obtained by micro-dissection and prepared to facilitate the isolation of RNA, which was subsequently analysed using whole rat genome microarrays.