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Comparison of fetal testosterone production in various tissues of the male sprague dawley rat dosed in utero with dipentyl phthalate during the critical window of sexual differentiation
Citation:
Tatum Gibbs, K., J. Furr, C. Lambright, N. Evans, B. Hannas, B. Rifle, H. Sampson, A. Hotchkiss, V. Wilson, AND E. Gray. Comparison of fetal testosterone production in various tissues of the male sprague dawley rat dosed in utero with dipentyl phthalate during the critical window of sexual differentiation. Presented at Society of Toxicology, March 10 - 14, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
This abstract will be presented at the Society of Toxicology meeting March 10-14, 2013, San Antonio, TX
Description:
Phthalate esters are high-production volume chemicals used in the manufacture of numerous plastics and consumer products, which generates major concern for potential human exposure and environmental contamination. Several studies have demonstrated adverse effects associated with phthalate exposure administered during the critical window of sexual differentiation on the development of the male reproductive system, many of which can be attributed to a decrease in fetal testosterone (T) production. However, there is very little information regarding reduction in fetal T in tissues other than the testes and the “Point of Departure” as it relates to the relationship between reductions in fetal T levels and resultant postnatal male reproductive malformations. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to assess fetal T production in various tissues following in utero exposure to dipentyl phthalate (DPeP) to determine the relationship between reductions in fetal T with the postnatal reproductive male malformations. DPeP was given to timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats via oral gavage on gestation days (GDs) 14-18 at doses of 11, 33, 100, or 300 mg/kg/d (n=3); controls received the vehicle corn oil. At GD 18 dams were necropsied and fetal specimens (plasma, testes, reproductive tract, and whole body) were recovered for extraction of T using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). We found the dose response curves for T production (media extraction) were very similar to the extracted T Levels in the testes and serum. However, preliminary results suggest the dose response curves for the reproductive tract and whole body may be quite different from those of testes and serum T levels. This abstract does not reflect US. EPA policy. Supported by EPA/NTP IA # RW-75-922-85501-J