Maternal exposure to butyl paraben impairs testicular structure and sperm quality on male rats

Abstract

Parabens are hormonally active chemicals widely used as preservatives in foods and are frequently detected in human fluids and tissues. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of maternal butyl paraben (BP) exposure on male sexual development. Pregnant Wistar rats received corn oil (control group), or BP at doses of 10, 100, or 200 mg/kg, subcutaneously, from gestational day 12 until postnatal day 21. Our results demonstrated that developmental BP exposure significantly increased the number of adult Leydig cells and the circulating concentrations of testosterone and attenuated FSH and LH concentrations at 200 mg/kg. BP exposure adversely affected spermatogenesis kinetics at doses of 10 and 200 mg/kg and provoked a decrease in the immunostaining of EsR1 and AR at 200 mg/kg. The sperm motility was impaired at the 10 mg/kg dose, and sperm head abnormalities were increased in all BP dose groups. We suggest that BP impairs testicular structure and function in the rat, affecting sperm quality. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1273-1289, 2017.

Butyl paraben promotes apoptosis in human trophoblast cells through increased oxidative stress‐induced endoplasmic reticulum stress

“…According to a U.S. National Health and Nutrition Survey, urinary BP was detected at a concentration of 0.2–1240 μg/L in 47% of the population . Maternal exposure to BP causes problems with the development of reproductive organs in male offspring in rats . In addition, prenatal exposure to BP causes impaired neurodevelopment .…”

Ascorbic acid supplementation ameliorates testicular hormonal signaling, sperm production and oxidative stress in male rats exposed to rosuvastatin during pre‐puberty

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that ERS1 knockout mice show infertility at adulthood (Shibayama et al, 2001) and fluid accumulation in the testis, an abnormal concentration of sperm and compromised sperm maturation in the caput of epididymis (Hess, 2014). Furthermore, a decreased ERS1 expression is also related to increased sperm abnormalities, decreased sperm motility (Couse & Korach, 1999;Guerra et al, 2016) and reduced sperm counts (Couse & Korach, 1999). In this study, the control group exhibited similar moderate cytoplasmic staining for ERS1 in the round and elongated spermatids and in Leydig cells, as previously described (Guerra et al, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, a decreased ERS1 expression is also related to increased sperm abnormalities, decreased sperm motility (Couse & Korach, ; Guerra et al, ) and reduced sperm counts (Couse & Korach, ). In this study, the control group exhibited similar moderate cytoplasmic staining for ERS1 in the round and elongated spermatids and in Leydig cells, as previously described (Guerra et al, ). Moreover, the Leydig cells showed a strong nuclear staining for ERS1, which is in accordance with a previous study (Pelletier, Labrie, & Labrie, ).…”

Effects of butylparaben on antioxidant enzyme activities and histopathological changes in rat tissues

“…Butylparaben (butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate, BP) from the paraben family has widely been used as antimicrobial/ antifungal preservative in cosmetic products, deodorants, toiletries, face creams, pharmaceuticals, toys, food, and beverages for more than 50 years (1,2). Parabens are endocrine disruptors which impair natural metabolism of hormones by mimicking, interfering, and/or blocking them (3)(4)(5)(6).…”