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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, K., J. Furr, C. Lambright, N. Evans, B. Hannas, B. Riffle, R. 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 Triangle Consortium for Reproductive Biology, March 01 - 02, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
This abstract will be presented at the Triangle Consortium for Reproductive Biology, Duke University, Durham , NC, March 1-2, 2013
Description:
Phthalate esters are high-production volume chemicals used in the manufacture of numerci 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 fetal testosterone (T) production. However, there is very little information regarding reduction 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 timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats via oral gavage on gestation days (GDs) 14-18 at doses 11, 33, 100, or 300 mglkg/d (n=3); controls received the vehicle corn oil. At GD 18 dams we necropsied and fetal specimens (plasma, testes, reproductive tract, and whole body) we 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 levels. This abstract does not reflect US. EPA policy. Supported by EPA/NTP IA # RW-75-92 85501