Disruption effects of monophthalate exposures on inter-Sertoli tight junction in a two-compartment culture model.

Phthalates are suspect environmental endocrine disruptors that may affect male reproduction and development by disturbing androgen synthesis and cell-cell interactions in the seminiferous epithelium. The in vivo metabolites, monophthalates, are thought to be the active agents, and toxicant effects including testicular damage and decreased sperm motility have been described previously. In this study, the aim was to investigate the effect of monophthalates on Sertoli cells using a two-compartment cell culture model, asking whether tight junction protein structures are affected, compromising the blood-testis barrier and contributing to male-mediated toxicity.

[Reversibility of adverse effects of di-n-butyl phthalate on F1 generation rat testes].

Objective: To study the reversibility of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) effects on F(1) generation rat testes.

Methods: Pregnant rats were treated with different dose of DBP (0, 50, 250 and 500 mg per kg per day) by gavage from GD1 to PND21. The adverse effects of DBP on testes of F(1) male rats in different developmental period (PND14, 21 and 70) were observed by anatomy and pathological methods.

Cadmium-induced damage to primary cultures of rat Leydig cells.

The mechanism of testicular toxicity of cadmium is poorly understood. Previous studies focusing on cadmium-related changes in testicular histopathology have implicated testicular blood vessel damage as the main cause of cadmium toxicity. To further explore the toxic effects of cadmium on testis, we isolated and cultured rat Leydig cells, exposed to 10, 20, and 40 microM of cadmium chloride (base doses).

Effects of metallic mercury on the perimenstrual symptoms and menstrual outcomes of exposed workers.

Background: Mercury is an important environmental and industrial pollutant and its effect on perimenstrual symptoms and menstrual outcomes is unclear.

Methods: A retrospective epidemiological investigation was conducted on 296 female workers exposed to mercury vapor and 394 female workers from food processing plants. Both groups included women of 18-44 years of age currently working since last at least 1 year when studied.