Short-term effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on testes, liver, kidneys and pancreas in mice.

Aim: To determine the biochemical effect of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on testes, liver, kidneys and pancreas on day 10 in the process of degeneration of the seminiferous epithelium.

Methods: Diets containing 2% DEHP were given to male Crlj:CD1(ICR) mice for 10 days. The dose of DEHP was 0.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate induces severe aspermatogenesis in mice, however, subsequent antioxidant vitamins supplementation accelerates regeneration of the seminiferous epithelium.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), now regarded as an endocrine disruptor, can experimentally induce spermatogenic disturbance in laboratory animals. Our previous study demonstrated that antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C and E) supplementation during DEHP-treatment significantly protected the rat seminiferous epithelium from DEHP-gonadotoxicity. In the present study, we gave these antioxidant vitamins to mice already having fully developed aspermatogenesis because of DEHP to determine whether or not the vitamins can cure the injured seminiferous epithelium.

Short-term prophylaxis with deoxyspergualin prevents testicular autoimmunity in mice.

The effects of the treatment with the immunosuppressant deoxyspergualin on the development of experimental autoimmune orchitis were studied. The results showed that C3H/He mice immunized with testicular germ cells and treated daily with either 0.3 or 3 mg/kg body weight deoxyspergualin during days 15-20 post-immunization developed experimental autoimmune orchitis lesions with a significantly lower incidence and severity than did the control mice treated under the same experimental conditions with phosphate buffered saline (PBS).