TY - JOUR
T1 - The endocrine disrupting effects of sodium arsenite in the rat testis is not mediated through macrophage activation
AU - de Araújo-Ramos, Anderson Tadeu
AU - Basso, Carla Giovana
AU - Passoni, Marcella Tapias
AU - Ribeiro, Daniele Cristine Krebs
AU - Spercoski, Katherinne Maria
AU - de Oliveira, Jeane Maria
AU - Romano, Renata Marino
AU - Merino, Camila
AU - Sandri, Jéssica Maiara Marques
AU - de Almeida, Mylla Freitas
AU - Predes, Fabrícia de Souza
AU - Martino-Andrade, Anderson Joel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Arsenic (As) is an endocrine disrupting chemical that can disturb the male reproductive system. In a previous study, it was suggested that testicular macrophages could display a role in endocrine disruption induced by As exposure. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic As exposure in the testis function of Wistar rats and examine the participation of macrophage activation and inflammatory response in these processes. We examined gene expression of steroidogenic machinery and immunological markers by RT-QPCR, plasma testosterone concentrations, sperm count and morphology, and histomorphometrical parameters after 60-days exposure to 1 or 5 mg.kg−1.day−1 of sodium arsenite, combined or not with 50 μg.kg−1 of LPS administered one day before euthanasia. We have demonstrated that As exposure reduced the weight of androgen-dependent organs and induced changes in spermatogenesis, in particular at the highest dose. LPS and As co-exposure promoted a decrease in testosterone synthesis, but did not increase the overexpression of markers of macrophage activation seen in LPS-only rats. Our results suggest that As does not alter the testicular macrophage function, but under immunological challenges LPS and As can display a complex interaction, which could lead to endocrine disruption.
AB - Arsenic (As) is an endocrine disrupting chemical that can disturb the male reproductive system. In a previous study, it was suggested that testicular macrophages could display a role in endocrine disruption induced by As exposure. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic As exposure in the testis function of Wistar rats and examine the participation of macrophage activation and inflammatory response in these processes. We examined gene expression of steroidogenic machinery and immunological markers by RT-QPCR, plasma testosterone concentrations, sperm count and morphology, and histomorphometrical parameters after 60-days exposure to 1 or 5 mg.kg−1.day−1 of sodium arsenite, combined or not with 50 μg.kg−1 of LPS administered one day before euthanasia. We have demonstrated that As exposure reduced the weight of androgen-dependent organs and induced changes in spermatogenesis, in particular at the highest dose. LPS and As co-exposure promoted a decrease in testosterone synthesis, but did not increase the overexpression of markers of macrophage activation seen in LPS-only rats. Our results suggest that As does not alter the testicular macrophage function, but under immunological challenges LPS and As can display a complex interaction, which could lead to endocrine disruption.
KW - Arsenic
KW - Endocrine-disrupting chemical
KW - Endocrinology
KW - Macrophage
KW - Male reproductive system
KW - Toxicology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103269422&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.03.005
DO - 10.1016/j.reprotox.2021.03.005
M3 - Article
C2 - 33766721
AN - SCOPUS:85103269422
SN - 0890-6238
VL - 102
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - Reproductive Toxicology
JF - Reproductive Toxicology
ER -