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4-Nitrophenol isolated from diesel exhaust particles disrupts regulation of reproductive hormones in immature male rats

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Abstract

In previous studies, we found that 4-nitrophenol (PNP) isolated from diesel exhaust particles exhibited both estrogenic and anti-androgenic activities. This compound is also a degradation product of the insecticide parathion. Here, we investigated the in vivo effect of PNP on reproductive function in immature male rats. Twenty-eight-day-old rats were injected subcutaneously with PNP (0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg) daily for 14 days. Plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) were significantly lower in all PNP dosage groups than in the control group, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was significantly decreased in rats treated with 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg PNP. However, plasma concentrations of testosterone were significantly increased by 10 mg/kg PNP, and plasma concentrations of immunoreactive (ir)-inhibin were also significantly increased in the 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg PNP groups. Plasma concentrations of prolactin were significantly increased by 10 mg/kg PNP, and plasma concentrations of corticosterone were significantly increased in all treatment groups. These findings clearly show that PNP influences the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis in immature male rats, with decreased secretion of LH and FSH and increased secretion of testosterone and inhibin. PNP, therefore, appears to disrupt endocrine activity in the immature male reproductive system.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the National Hormone and Pituitary Program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD; the National Institutes of Health, Torrance, CA; and Dr. A. F. Parlow for the rat LH, FSH, and PRL RIA kits; and to Dr. G. D. Niswender of the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO) for providing the antiserum to testosterone (GDN 250). This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (P07582 and B18310044) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan

    Xuezheng Li, Gen Watanabe & Kazuyoshi Taya

  2. Environmental Nanotoxicology Section, Research Center for Environmental Risk, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan

    Chunmei Li, Akira K. Suzuki & Shinji Taneda

  3. College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, China

    Chunmei Li

  4. Department of Basic Veterinary Science, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan

    Gen Watanabe & Kazuyoshi Taya

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  1. Xuezheng Li
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  2. Chunmei Li
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  3. Akira K. Suzuki
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  4. Shinji Taneda
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  5. Gen Watanabe
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  6. Kazuyoshi Taya
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Correspondence to Akira K. Suzuki.

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Li, X., Li, C., Suzuki, A.K. et al. 4-Nitrophenol isolated from diesel exhaust particles disrupts regulation of reproductive hormones in immature male rats. Endocr 36, 98–102 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-009-9192-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-009-9192-0

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