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Results for “DIETHYLSTILBESTROL”

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PubMed2000

Non-competitive inhibition of kainate-induced currents by diethylstilbestrol in acutely isolated mouse CA1 hippocampal neurons.

The effect of a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), on kainate-induced currents was investigated in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons acutely dissociated from the mice using the nystatin-perforated patch-clamp recording configuration under voltage-clamp conditions. DES inhibited the current evoked by 100 microM kainate in a concentration-dependent manner with a half-maximum inhibitory concentration of 8.8 microM. The action of DES was voltage-independent. Since DES produced a suppression of the maximum response of the kainate concentration-response curve, the inhibition by DES of the kainate-induced current appears to be non-competitive.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Model ecosystem evaluation of the environmental impacts of the veterinary drugs phenothiazine, sulfamethazine, clopidol, and diethylstilbestrol.

Four veterinary drugs of dissimilar chemical structures were evaluated for environmental stability and penchant for bioaccumulation. The techniques used were (1) a model aquatic ecosystem (3 days) and (2) a model feedlot ecosystem (33 days) in which the drugs were introduced via the excreta of chicks or mice. The model feedlot ecosystem was supported by metabolism cage studies to determine the amount and the form of the drug excreted by the chicks or mice. Considerable quantities of all the drugs were excreted intact or as environmentally short-lived conjugates. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Clopidol were the most persistent molecules, but only DES bioaccumulated to any appreciable degree. Phenothiazine was very biodegradable; sulfamethazine was relatively biodegradable and only accumulated in the organisms to very low levels. Data from the aquatic model ecosystem demonstrated a good correlation between the partition coefficients of the drugs and their accumulation in the fish.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Low doses of bisphenol A and diethylstilbestrol impair Ca2+ signals in pancreatic alpha-cells through a nonclassical membrane estrogen receptor within intact islets of Langerhans.

Glucagon, secreted from pancreatic alpha-cells integrated within the islets of Langerhans, is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism by enhancing the synthesis and mobilization of glucose in the liver. In addition, it has other extrahepatic effects ranging from lipolysis in adipose tissue to the control of satiety in the central nervous system. In this article, we show that the endocrine disruptors bisphenol A (BPA) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), at a concentration of 10(-9) M, suppressed low-glucose-induced intracellular calcium ion ([Ca2+]i) oscillations in alpha-cells, the signal that triggers glucagon secretion. This action has a rapid onset, and it is reproduced by the impermeable molecule estradiol (E2) conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (E-HRP). Competition studies using E-HRP binding in immunocytochemically identified alpha-cells indicate that 17beta-E2, BPA, and DES share a common membrane-binding site whose pharmacologic profile differs from the classical ER. The effects triggered by BPA, DES, and E2 are blocked by the G alpha i- and G alpha o-protein inhibitor pertussis toxin, by the guanylate cyclase-specific inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, and by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. The effects are reproduced by 8-bromo-guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and suppressed in the presence of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor KT-5823. The action of E2, BPA, and DES in pancreatic alpha-cells may explain some of the effects elicited by endocrine disruptors in the metabolism of glucose and lipid.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Effect of interval between neutron radiation and diethylstilbestrol on mammary carcinogenesis in female ACI rats.

Both radiation and diethylstilbestrol (DES) are carcinogens for the mammary gland of ACI female rats. When DES is given at about the same time as radiation, DES and radiation interact in a synergistic fashion particularly in regard to the number of mammary adenocarcinomas per rat. We have studied the effect of increasing the time interval between radiation and DES on the capacity of DES to enhance (promote?) radiation-induced mammary carcinogenesis. DES, in the form of a compressed pellet containing a mixture of cholesterol and DES, formulated to average 1.25 mg of DES/100 gr body weight, was given to groups of approximately 28 rats at 2 days before, or 50, 100 or 200 days after 0.064 Gy of 0.43 MeV neutron radiation. At each time that DES was given to irradiated rats, DES was also given to nonirradiated rats. All rats were studied for 375 days after the date of the DES administration. When the total number of mammary adenocarcinomas was calculated as a percentage of 24 sites per rat at-risk, DES and radiation always produced a response that was larger than the sum of the responses of DES alone plus radiation alone. This result suggests that these two agents can interact in a synergistic fashion. The interaction between radiation and DES did not decline as the time interval between radiation and DES was lengthened. This result suggests that radiation-induced (initiated?) mammary carcinogenesis is not subject to repair since DES enhancement (promotion?) continues to be effective over long time intervals.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1993

Gender-related behavior in women exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol.

Accumulating evidence in experimental animals over the past three decades suggests that mammalian brain development and differentiation of the central nervous system are influenced by perinatal exposure to sex hormones. Hence, changes in human behavioral patterns may be associated with prenatal exposure to estrogenic substances such as diethylstilbestrol (DES). This paper reviews relevant studies from a series of laboratories and finds that no clear-cut differences can be demonstrated to date between unexposed and DES-exposed women in gender-related behavior, although the physical and psychological impact of the problems associated with exposure to DES are well documented. If both prenatal and postnatal influences such as social, economic, and environmental factors are taken into consideration, individual variation is more apparent than differences in gender-related behavior between unexposed and DES-exposed women. In summary, gender-related behavior is determined by a complex array of interacting factors, and prenatal influences are only one of many developmental events. More studies are needed using larger populations with carefully controlled selection criteria to suggest a direct role of prenatal DES exposure on subsequent gender-related behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Cellular and molecular effects of developmental exposure to diethylstilbestrol: implications for other environmental estrogens.

Concerns have been raised regarding the role of environmental and dietary estrogens as possible contributors to an increased incidence of various abnormalities in estrogen-target tissues of both sexes. These abnormalities include breast cancer, endometriosis, fibroids, and uterine adenocarcinoma in females, as well as alterations in sex differentiation, decreased sperm concentrations, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic cancer, testicular cancer, and reproductive problems in males. Whether these concerns are valid remains to be determined; however, studies with the potent synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) suggest that exogenous estrogen exposure during critical stages of development can result in permanent cellular and molecular alterations in the exposed organism. These alterations manifest themselves in the female and male as structural, functional, or long-term pathological changes including neoplasia. Although DES has potent estrogenic activity, it may be used as a model compound to study the effects of weaker environmental estrogens, many of which may fit into the category of endocrine disruptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Sexual behavior in Japanese quail as a test end point for endocrine disruption: effects of in ovo exposure to ethinylestradiol and diethylstilbestrol.

Chemicals having a capacity to disturb the endocrine system have attracted considerable interest during recent years. There is a shortage of well-characterized in vivo tests with which to study such disturbances in different classes of vertebrates. In the present study, test end points related to reproduction in the Japanese quail were used to examine the estrogenic activity of chemicals. The synthetic estrogens ethinylestradiol (EE(2)) and diethylstilbestrol (DES), used as model compounds, were injected into the yolk of embryonated eggs. After the birds had been raised to sexual maturity, we examined sexual behavior, plasma testosterone concentrations, and testis morphology in adult males. The lowest doses resulting in a significantly depressed male sexual behavior were 6 ng/g egg for EE(2) and 19 ng/g egg for DES. Testis weight asymmetry was increased at 6 ng EE(2)/g egg, but DES had no effect at any treatment level. The area of the androgen-dependent cloacal gland was significantly reduced at 57 ng DES/g egg. No effects on plasma testosterone concentration or body weight following exposure to EE(2) or DES were observed at any dose level. Depressed male sexual behavior was the most sensitive of the end points studied, and we suggest that this ecologically relevant end point be included in avian in vivo testing for neuroendocrine disruptors.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

New approaches for estimating risk from exposure to diethylstilbestrol.

A subgroup from a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, workshop concerned with characterizing the effects of endocrine disruptors on human health at environmental exposure levels considered the question, If diethylstilbestrol (DES) were introduced into the market for human use today and likely to result in low-dose exposure of the human fetus, what would be required to assess risk? On the basis of an analysis of the quality of data on human DES exposure, the critical times and doses for inducing genital tract malformations and cancer must be determined. This would be facilitated through analysis of the ontogeny of estrogen receptor expression in the developing human genital tract. Models of low-dose estrogenic effects will have to be developed for human and rodent genital tract development. Mouse models offer many advantages over other potential animal models because of the wealth of the earlier literature, the availability of sensitive end points, the availability of mutant lines, and the possibility of generating genetically engineered model systems. Through multidisciplinary approaches, it should be possible to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of endocrine disruption elicited by estrogens during development and facilitate an assessment of risk to humans.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Demonstration of estrogen receptors and of estrogen responsiveness in the HKT-1097 cell line derived from diethylstilbestrol-induced kidney tumors.

This study was undertaken in order to examine the estrogen sensitivity of HKT-1097, an established cell line recently derived from diethylstilbestrol (DES)-induced kidney tumors in Syrian hamsters. Estrogen receptor (ER) level in HKT-1097, determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay, was 67 fmol/mg protein, i.e., a value approx. 30% lower than that found in Syrian hamster kidney tumors. ER immunostaining in cells fixed with Carnoy's mixture, as well as ER demonstration by Western blotting, suggested DES-induced nuclear translocation or stabilization of the receptor within the nucleus. Kinetic parameters of estrogen binding to ER in HKT-1097 cells were 8.4 x 10(-11) M and 60.8 fmol/mg protein for Kd and Bmax, respectively. The Kd of estrogen binding to ER in HKT-1097 was close to that evaluated for the receptor in breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cell line, whereas the Bmax value was approx. seven times lower in HKT-1097 as compared to MCF-7. In HKT-1097 cells, antiestrogens ICI 182,780 and RU 58,668 induced ER downregulation and competed with estrogen binding to the receptor. As demonstrated by Western blot analysis, DES exposure led to an increased expression of progesterone receptor (PgR) in HKT-1097 cells. Addition of DES to estrogen-free medium produced a stimulation of growth in both HKT-1097 and MCF-7 cells, but the mitogenic effect was less marked for HKT-1097. Despite the fact that ICI 182,780 and RU 58,668 clearly interact with HKT-1097 cell ER, they appeared unable to suppress DES-induced stimulation of growth and increase of PgR expression.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Effect of estradiol, diethylstilbestrol, and resveratrol on F0F1-ATPase activity from mitochondrial preparations of rat heart, liver, and brain.

The question of whether estrogens or estrogen-like compounds would alter differentially the enzymatic activity of the FOF1-ATPase was addressed. Mitochondrial fractions of the liver, brain, and heart were obtained from adult male rats and solubilized by digitonin. About 85% of the adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis by these three preparations come from the mitochondrial FOF1-ATPase. The enzymatic activity differed in the following order: liver < brain < heart. A concentration of 13 nM estradiol stimulated the FOF1-ATPase activity in heart by 10% (p < 0.01), but not in liver or brain. 17beta-estradiol competed off the binding of estradiol-17beta-17-(O-carboxymethyl)oxime:125I-labeled bovine serium albumin to mitochondrial preparations of the heart, revealing two binding sites. Resveratrol inhibited the F0F1-ATPase activity in both heart and liver with an IC50 of 13-15 microM, which confirmed our previous report in preparations of brain. Lower doses (picomolar to nanomolar) of resveratrol stimulated the FOF1-ATPase activity in liver by 10% but not in heart. At 6.7 microM, diethylstilbestrol (DES) inhibited the FOF1-ATPase activity in the three preparations by 61-67%. This study demonstrates that estradiol activates rat heart mitochondrial FOF1-ATPase at physiologic concentrations and that the FOF1-ATPase activity is markedly different in rat liver, brain, and heart. In addition, estradiol, DES, and resveratrol alter the FOF1-ATPase activity selectively, probably via different mechanisms.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2001

Effects of neonatal diethylstilbestrol exposure on c-fos and c-jun protooncogene expression in the mouse uterus.

Quantitative and cell-type-specific expression of c-fos and c-jun genes after 17beta-estradiol (E2) stimulation, was investigated in the uteri of neonatally diethylstilbestrol (DES)-exposed and ovariectomized adult mice (neoDES-mice), employing Northern blot analysis, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The c-fos mRNA level before E2 injection (at baseline) was about 2.2-fold higher in neoDES-mice than in vehicle-treated control mice. In controls, E2 treatment transiently increased c-fos mRNA levels, showing a peak value (15.8-fold relative to the baseline) after 2 hours. In neoDES-mice, c-fos mRNA level reached a peak showing a 2.1-fold increase compared with its baseline value 1 hour after E2 injection. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization revealed that c-fos protein (Fos) and mRNA are induced in the epithelium and vascular endothelium in both groups. Most uterine epithelia of neoDES-mice revealed low sensitivity to the c-fos expression after E2 administration compared with those of vehicle-treated controls, whereas few epithelia showed high c-fos mRNA expression even at baseline. The c-jun mRNA concentration in the neoDES-mice uteri at baseline was 70% of that in vehicle-treated controls. At 1 hour after E2 injection, c-jun mRNA levels increased 1.8-fold in controls and 1.3-fold in the neoDES-mice relative to each baseline value. There were no significant differences in the distribution pattern of c-jun protein (Jun) and mRNA in the uteri of either groups; E2 stimulated c-jun mRNA expression in the stromal and myometrial cells but suppressed it in the epithelial cells, whereas intensity of c-jun immunostaining increased in the three cell types. The permanent changes in the expression of estrogen-regulated protooncogenes, c-fos and c-jun genes, by neonatal DES exposure may be responsible for the wide range of abnormalities in the genital tract of mature animals.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Expression of c-fos and c-jun protooncogenes in the uteri of immature mice neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol.

We studied the cell-type-specific and temporal expression of c-fos and c-jun protooncogenes after 17beta-estradiol (E2) stimulation in the uteri of immature 3-week-old mice neonatally exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES), DES-mice, and the ontogenic expression of these genes in the uteri of DES-mice using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. A single E2 injection induced the transient and rapid expression of c-fos mRNA and c-Fos protein in the endometrial epithelium and endothelial cells of the blood vessels in both 3-week-old vehicle-treated controls and DES-mice; a peak of mRNA expression was 2 hours after E2 injection and that of protein expression was 2 to 3 hours after the injection. The expression of c-fos mRNA and protein after E2 stimulation was lower in the DES-mice than in the control animals. There were no significant differences in the c-jun expression patterns in both experimental groups before and after the E2 injection. The E2 injection transiently down-regulated the c-jun expression in the epithelium and up-regulated it in the stroma and myometrium. The uterine epithelium of DES-mice showed much stronger c-Jun immunostaining on days 4 and 10, compared with those of controls. Neonatal DES treatment reduced c-Jun immunoreactivity in the uterine epithelium on days 4 and 10, and increased the reaction in the stroma on day 4. These results suggested that the neonatal DES treatment induces permanent changes in the c-fos expression pattern independent of the postpuberal secretion of ovarian steroids. The changes in the expression of c-fos and c-jun protooncogenes, particularly during postnatal development, are likely to play important roles in the production of uterine abnormalities in the DES-mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Effects of intravenous administration of high dose-diethylstilbestrol diphosphate on serum hormonal levels in patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

The objective of this study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying the further suppression of serum testosterone (T) by diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DES-DP) in patients with prostate cancer refractory to hormonal treatment. These patients received an LHRH agonist with or without a non-steroidal androgen-receptor blocker or a gestagen before DES-DP. We measured serum levels of total and free T, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), estradiol (E2), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, cortisol, aldosterone before and during intravenous administration of high doses of DES-DP (500 or 1000 mg/day). DES-DP administration suppressed the serum levels of FSH (p=0.04) and total T (p=0.02), and eliminated free T (p=0.04) and E2 (p=0.04) from serum, while reducing serum DHEA-S to approximately two-thirds of the pretreatment level (p=0.03). In contrast, serum levels of SHBG (p=0.02) and cortisol (p=0.02) were markedly increased after DES-DP administration. The latter had no significant effect on serum levels of LH, DHT, ACTH, 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, DHEA, androstenedione, or aldosterone. The results suggest that the potent suppression of circulating total T by DES-DP is caused, in part, by the inhibitory effect of DES-DP on serum DHEA-S level. In most patients, high-dose DES-DP treatment completely suppressed the serum level of free T, while possibly elevating serum SHBG and decreasing serum total T. The mechanisms that maintain the serum level of serum DHT during DES-DP treatment require further elucidation.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol alters the expression of DNA methyltransferases and methylation of genomic DNA in the epididymis of mice.

Fetal and neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) is known to cause many abnormalities, such as cancer, in the male and female reproductive tracts later in life, and epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, may be involved in these processes. In the present study, newborn C57BL/6 male mice were exposed to 3 mug of DES from postnatal days 1 to 5. Subsequently, the expression levels of the DNA methyltransferases Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b and the transcription factors Sp1 and Sp3, which have been reported to regulate the expression of Dnmts, were examined at days 5, 14 and 30. Furthermore, restriction landmark genomic scanning (RLGS), which can analyze genome-wide DNA methylation, was performed to clarify whether or not aberrant DNA methylation was present in the epididymis of the DES-treated mice at day 30. Increased expression of Dnmt3b was observed at days 5 and 14, followed by increased expression of Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a at day 30, as evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. The expression of Sp1 was also increased at day 30. The RLGS analysis revealed that 7 loci of the genomic DNA were demethylated and 1 locus was methylated in the epididymis of the DES-treated mice. Four of these loci specifically demethylated in DES-treated mice were cloned, and all were found to be located within CpG islands near genes. In conclusion, our results indicated the possibility that DES-induced abnormalities of reproductive organs are associated with altered expression levels of DNA methyltransferases and DNA methylation.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Persistent gene expression in mouse vagina exposed neonatally to diethylstilbestrol.

Developmental exposure to a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), induces carcinogenesis in human and laboratory animals. In mice, neonatal DES treatment induces persistent proliferation and keratinization of the vaginal epithelium, even in the absence of the ovaries, resulting in cancerous lesions later in life. To understand the mechanisms underlying this persistent cell proliferation and differentiation, we characterized the gene expression patterns in the neonatally DES-exposed mouse vagina using DNA microarray and real-time quantitative RT-PCR. We found that genes related to cellular signaling, which are candidates for mediating the persistent proliferation and differentiation, were altered, and genes related to the immune system were decreased in the neonatally DES-exposed mouse vagina. We also noted high expression of interleukin-1 (IL-1)-related genes accompanied by phosphorylation of JNK1. In addition, expression IGF-I and its binding proteins was modulated and led to phosphorylation of IGF-I receptor and Akt, which is one of the downstream factors of IGF-I signaling. This led us to characterize the expression as well as the phosphorylation status of IL-1 and IGF-I signaling pathway components which may activate the phosphorylation cascade in the vagina of mice exposed neonatally to DES. These findings give insight into persistent activation in the vagina of mice exposed neonatally to DES.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Octylphenol does not mimic diethylstilbestrol-induced oestrogen receptor-alpha expression in the newborn mouse uterine epithelium after prenatal exposure.

This study examined whether the endocrine disruptor octylphenol (OP) mimics the synthetic oestrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) in ability to induce oestrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha) expression in the newborn mouse uterine epithelium after prenatal exposure. Pregnant mice were given daily s.c. injections with DES (10 or 100 microgram DES/kg maternal wt) or OP (100 or 250 mg/kg maternal wt) or with vehicle alone from day 11.5 to 16.5 of pregnancy. ER-alpha expression was evaluated on histological sections by detecting ER-alpha mRNA with the in situ hybridization technique and ER-alpha protein using immunohistochemistry. The immunostaining was quantitated using a microspectrophotometer. Oestrogen-like activity of the DES and OP batches used for in vivo exposure was confirmed in an in vitro assay based on transient gene expression of an oestrogen-dependent reporter plasmid. In mice exposed prenatally to vehicle alone, the uterine epithelium did not express either ER-alpha mRNA or protein, while both were highly expressed in the stroma. Exposure to either DES dose induced the expression of both ER-alpha mRNA and protein in the epithelium, whereas it was unchanged in the stroma. In contrast, neither OP dose induced the expression of ER-alpha mRNA or protein in the epithelium and expression was unchanged in the stroma. Our data stress the importance of in vivo studies when investigating endocrine disruptors.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Effect of diethylstilbestrol on cell proliferation and expression of epidermal growth factor in the developing female rat reproductive tract.

To evaluate mechanisms of cell proliferation in the fetal female rat reproductive tract, diethylstilbestrol (DES) effects on cell division and estrogen receptor (ER), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor (EGF-R) expressions were determined from gestational day (GD) 15.5 to 21.5. Reproductive tracts were evaluated within three regions along the Müllerian duct axis; these were proximal, middle and caudal, which differentiate into oviduct, uterus and upper vagina respectively. In fetuses from non-treated dams, epithelial and mesenchymal proliferation, as evaluated by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, was decreased with development in all regions of the Müllerian duct. EGF levels were determined by immunohistochemistry. Müllerian epithelial EGF immunoreactivity was intense in the proximal and middle regions on GDs 15.5 and 17.5. EGF staining remained intense only in the proximal epithelia by GD 19.5 and was weak in the caudal epithelium, but substantially reduced throughout epithelia in all regions by GD 21.5. Thus, decreased cell proliferation correlated with decreased EGF expression in the developing Müllerian duct. DES (100 microg/kg body weight) was injected from GD 15 to 19 and female fetuses were collected on GD 19.5. DES increased Müllerian duct cell proliferation in the proximal epithelium and mesenchyme but decreased it in the caudal epithelium compared with oil-treated controls. No proliferative DES effect was observed in any cell type in the middle region. Müllerian duct EGF immunoreactivity was suppressed by DES compared with oil. Competitive RT-PCR indicated DES also decreased mRNAs for EGF, ERbeta1 and ERbeta2, but not ERalpha and EGF-R. These results indicate EGF may be an important regulatory factor of Müllerian duct cell proliferation, and that DES may alter cell proliferation by disrupting normal EGF, ERbeta1 and ERbeta2 expression in the developing female rat reproductive tract.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Estrogen agonists, 17beta-estradiol, bisphenol A, and diethylstilbestrol, decrease cortactin expression in the mouse testis.

Previous reports have revealed that estrogen agonists or anti-androgenic chemicals induce abnormal spermiogenesis in rodents. In the seminiferous epithelium, the apical ectoplasmic specialization (ES) is an actin-based (cell-cell) junctional structure developing between the Sertoli cells and spermatids as is the basal ES also--although it is located between adjoining Sertoli cells. In the apical and basal ES are several adhesion complex proteins that control the spermatid developing process. Cortactin, an actin-binding protein, is one of the ES adhesion proteins, combining with several cell-cell adhesions associating proteins. In the present study, 17beta-estradiol (E2, 1.2 microg/kg), bisphenol A (BPA, 2.4 microg/kg), and diethylstilbestrol (DES, 2.5 microg/kg) were subcutaneously injected in ICR 12-week-old male mice. Mice testes were observed for the expression of cortactin protein after E2, BPA, and DES treatments by Western blot analysis, immunohistochemical analysis, and immunoelectron microscopic analysis. Observations showed that the immunoreactivity of the treated testes was significantly decreased. The immunohistochemical reactivity of cortactin in the apical ES was decreased in the treated testis. In immunoelectron microscopic observations, ultrastructural immunolocalizations of cortactin protein in the apical ES by both E2 and BPA were decreased, and the immuno-gold particles of apical and basal ES by DES were much less than the control. In the toxicological field, cortactin may be considered to be one of the indicator proteins of abnormal spermiogenesis which is affected by exogenous chemicals, such as endocrine disrupting chemicals. In summary, this study helps toward understanding the cortactin protein expression underlying the histological abnormalities of spermatogenesis induced by exogenous hormonal chemical treatment.

Animals↗