Effects on the Local Immunity in the Testis by Exposure to
Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP) in Mice |
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Authors: | Miyuki KITAOKA Shuichi HIRAI Hayato TERAYAMA Munekazu NAITO Ning QU Naoyuki HATAYAMA Hidenobu MIYASO Yoshiharu MATSUNO Masatoshi KOMIYAMA Masahiro ITOH Chisato MORI |
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Institution: | 1)Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan;2)Department of Bioenvironmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba 260-8670, Japan |
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Abstract: | Exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been reported to induce
spermatogenic disturbance through oxidant stress and affect the immune system as an
adjuvant. However, the effect of DEHP on the testicular immune microenvironment has
not yet been investigated. In the present study, we examined the testicular immune
microenvironment after exposure to doses of DEHP, previously identified as
no-observed-adverse-effect levels. Adult male mice were administered food containing
0%, 0.01% or 0.1% DEHP and then testes were analyzed. The results showed that a
slight but significant spermatogenic disturbance appeared in the 0.1% DEHP group but
not in the 0.01% DEHP group at 8 weeks. It was also demonstrated that lymphocytes and
F4/80- and MHC class II- positive cells were significantly increased with the
elevation of IL-10 and IFN-γ mRNA expressions in the testes of not only the 0.1% DEHP
group but also the 0.01% DEHP group at 8 weeks. Histochemical analyses involving
horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a tracer showed that a little blood-borne HRP had
infiltrated into the lumen of a few seminiferous tubules beyond the
blood-testis-barrier in both the 0.1% and 0.01% DEHP groups at 8 weeks. This
indicates that a dose of DEHP that has little effects on spermatogenesis can change
the testicular immune microenvironment with functional damage of the blood-testis
barrier. |
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Keywords: | Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate Immune microenvironment Testis |
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