Adverse stimulation of 4-nonylphenol in abnormal reproductive organs of female chickens

Abstract

4-Nonylphenol (4-NP) is a known endocrine disrupting chemical and a persistent environmental contaminant. However, the 4-NP caused mechanism of reproductive toxicity still remains largely unknown in birds. In this study, female chickens (Hy-Line Variety White) were dosed via oral gavage in the early laying period with 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg 4-NP/kg/d for 60 days. Food intake and weight increase were monitored in this organism to investigate chicken growth and development. Moreover, pathological changes of reproductive organs, serum hormone, and mRNA changes on the HPOA were detected. The results showed that gonad development and maturity were retarded in female chickens, and the circulating concentrations of sex hormones were disordered in 4-NP-treated chicken. In 4-NP exposed animals, the mRNA expressions of GnRH and PRLH in hypothalamus and FSH and LH in pituitary were significantly unregulated by 4-NP. In addition, expressions of FSHR and LHR were down-regulated in ovaries of the 4-NP-treatment group, while the levels of stAR, P450scc, P450arom, 3β-HSD, and 17β-HSD were up-regulated in ovaries. Furthermore, expression of ERα in the ovaries of chicken was up-regulated, however, no significant change was observed for ERβ expression. Our results suggest that granulosa cells were an important target and severely disturbed by 4-NP.

Endocrine Disruption of the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Receptor Signaling During the Human Antral Follicle Growth

“…Given that GPER and FSHR may cooperate to support follicle selection and maturation during the antral stage ( 41 ), these data suggest that FSHR-mediated intracellular signaling might be perturbed upon disruption of GPER action. Similarly, in chickens, it was demonstrated that 4-Nonylphenol (4-NP) downregulated the ovarian expression of both FSHR and LHR, while it upregulated the levels of steroidogenic enzymes and of the estrogen receptor alpha (erα) ( 81 ). Again, these data may lead to the hypothesis that the disruptive effect of some EDs could be due to the action on FSHR membrane partners, although physical interactions between gonadotropin receptors were never demonstrated in chicken ovaries.…”

The Study of SELEX Methodology in the Generation of Aptamers for Environmental Contaminant Nonylphenol

“…In terms of sexual differentiation, NP acts as a strong oestrogen agonist and can alter the transcriptional expression of sexual-differentiation genes leading to a change of sex ratio in fish (Sun et al, 2017). Laboratory studies assessing NP toxicity have also demonstrated its ability to cause harm to the endocrine system of divergent species including birds by disrupting normal signalling in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis causing developmental abnormalities in ovaries and oviducts (Zhang et al, 2017).…”