PMID- 11392670
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20011018
LR  - 20190910
IS  - 0040-8166 (Print)
IS  - 0040-8166 (Linking)
VI  - 33
IP  - 2
DP  - 2001 Apr
TI  - Effects of continuous and intermittent exposure of lactating mothers to aroclor 
      1242 on testicular steroidogenic function in the adult male offspring.
PG  - 169-77
AB  - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are worldwide pollutants and have caused 
      hazardous effects on many animal species including humans. They have been 
      detected in human milk and therefore exposure of newborns to PCBs is unavoidable 
      if they are breast-fed. We present our findings on two experiments performed to 
      test the effects of intermittent and continuous exposure of lactating rats to two 
      different doses (80 microg and 8 microg) of Aroclor 1242 (a PCB congener) on 
      testicular steroidogenic function of their adult male offspring. In experiment I, 
      three groups of lactating dams received daily subcutaneous (SC) injections of 
      either corn oil, 80 microg of Aroclor 1242 and 8 microg of Aroclor 1242 in corn 
      oil, respectively. In experiment II, three groups of lactating dams received two 
      SC injections per week of either corn oil or Aroclor 1242 (80 microg and 8 
      microg) in corn oil, respectively. Pups in all groups (n=8 per group) were weaned 
      at day 21 and were raised on a normal diet until sacrificed at 90 days. 
      Experiment I: Leydig cell number per testis was significantly (P<0.05) increased 
      and the average volume of a Leydig cell was significantly (P<0.05) reduced in 
      both groups of Aroclor-exposed rats compared to corn oil controls. Both doses of 
      Aroclor resulted in reduced (P<0.05) serum testosterone levels compared to corn 
      oil-treated controls. LH-stimulated testosterone production per testis and per 
      Leydig cell was lower in Aroclor-exposed rats compared to controls. Experiment 
      II: No changes were observed in Leydig cell size and number per testis among the 
      three groups. Serum LH, testosterone and LH-stimulated testicular testosterone 
      production in offspring rats of Aroclor-treated dams were not significantly 
      different (P>.05) from the offspring of corn oil-treated dams. However, these 
      parameters were lower in value in the offspring of dams treated with Aroclor 80 
      microg compared to the other two groups. LH-stimulated testosterone secretory 
      capacity per Leydig cell was significantly lower in offspring of dams treated 
      with Aroclor compared to controls. Serum T4 and T3 levels were not significantly 
      different among the Aroclor-exposed and control rats in both experiments. These 
      results demonstrate that continuous exposure of lactating mothers to 8 and 80 
      microg of Aroclor 1242 causes hypotrophy and malfunctioning of Leydig cells in 
      the adult male offspring resulting in a hypoandrogenic status. Intermittent 
      treatment of lactating mothers with 80 microg of Aroclor (but not with 8 microg 
      of Aroclor) also produced malfunctioning of Leydig cells and a hypoandrogenic 
      status in the absence of Leydig cell hypotrophy. However, the Aroclor 8 microg 
      dose was ineffective to produce the above effects.
FAU - Kim, I S
AU  - Kim IS
AD  - Department of Comparative Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37996, 
      USA.
FAU - Ariyaratne, H B
AU  - Ariyaratne HB
FAU - Chamindrani Mendis-Handagama, S M
AU  - Chamindrani Mendis-Handagama SM
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Scotland
TA  - Tissue Cell
JT  - Tissue & cell
JID - 0214745
RN  - 0 (Aroclors)
RN  - 0 (Environmental Pollutants)
RN  - 3XMK78S47O (Testosterone)
RN  - 53469-21-9 (aroclor 1242)
RN  - 9002-67-9 (Luteinizing Hormone)
SB  - IM
MH  - Age Factors
MH  - Animals
MH  - Aroclors/*pharmacology
MH  - Cell Differentiation/drug effects
MH  - Environmental Pollutants/*pharmacology
MH  - Female
MH  - Lactation/*drug effects
MH  - Leydig Cells/drug effects/pathology
MH  - Luteinizing Hormone/blood
MH  - Male
MH  - Rats
MH  - Sexual Maturation/drug effects
MH  - Testis/drug effects/*growth & development/pathology
MH  - Testosterone/*blood
EDAT- 2001/06/08 10:00
MHDA- 2001/10/19 10:01
CRDT- 2001/06/08 10:00
PHST- 2001/06/08 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2001/10/19 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/06/08 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S004081660090168X [pii]
AID - 10.1054/tice.2000.0168 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Tissue Cell. 2001 Apr;33(2):169-77. doi: 10.1054/tice.2000.0168.