Paraquat exposure delays late-stage Leydig cell differentiation in rats during puberty.
Environ Pollut
; 255(Pt 2): 113316, 2019 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-31610511
ABSTRACT
Paraquat is a fast and non-selective herbicide that is widely used in crop cultivation and conservation tillage systems. Animal experiments have shown that paraquat decreases sperm quality and testicular organ coefficient, but its effects on the development of Leydig cells remain unclear. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of paraquat exposure on the Leydig cell development in rats during puberty. Twenty-eight male 35-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups 0, 0.5, 2.0, and 8â¯mgâ¯kg-1 d-1 paraquat. Paraquat was gavaged for 10â¯d. Adult Leydig cells were isolated and treated with paraquat for 24â¯h. Paraquat in vivo significantly decreased body and testis weights at 8â¯mgâ¯kg-1 and lowered serum testosterone levels at 2 and 8â¯mgâ¯kg-1 without affecting the levels of serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Paraquat did not alter Leydig cell number and PCNA labeling index. Real-time PCR showed that paraquat down-regulated the expression of Lhcgr, Scarb1, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, and Hsd17b3 genes and their proteins at 2 or 8â¯mgâ¯kg-1, while it up-regulated the expression of Srd5a1 at 8â¯mgâ¯kg-1. Paraquat increased ROS and decreased testosterone production by Leydig cells at 1 and 10⯵M after in vitro 24-h exposure. Vitamin E (40⯵g/ml) reversed paraquat-induced ROS and suppression of testosterone synthesis in vitro. In conclusion, paraquat directly delays Leydig cell differentiation to block testosterone synthesis via down-regulating the expression of critical testosterone synthesis-related genes and up-regulating the expression of testosterone metabolic enzyme (Srd5a1) gene and possibly via increasing ROS production.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Paraquat
/
Herbicidas
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Células Intersticiais do Testículo
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Pollut
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
China
País de publicação:
ENGLAND
/
ESCOCIA
/
GB
/
GREAT BRITAIN
/
INGLATERRA
/
REINO UNIDO
/
SCOTLAND
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UK
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UNITED KINGDOM