Nonylphenols (NPs) are widely used industrial materials, and are considered as
potent endocrine disrupting chemical. Present study was undertaken to clarify
the effect of subchronic low-dose NP exposure to F1 generation male mice. Mice
were divided into 2 groups; (1) CON, control animals and (2) NP-50 (50
μg/L), animals were treated with NP via drinking water. NP exposures were
continuously conducted from parental pre-mating period until the postnatal day
(PND) 55 of F1 offsprings. Mice were sacrificed on PND 55 and the tissue weights
were measured. The initial body weights (at PND 21) and terminal body weights
(PND 55) of the NP-50 animals were significantly lower than those of control
animals (
p<
0.05). NP exposure induced a significant
increase in the absolute weight of the testes (
p<
0.05).
Conversely, the NP exposure caused significant decrease in the absolute weights
of the epididymis (
p<
0.01), prostate
(
p<
0.05) and seminal vesicle
(
p<
0.05). Histopathological studies revealed that
NP-treated animals exerted decreased seminiferous tubule diameters, reduced
luminal area, and lower number of germ cells. Also some sloughing morphologies
in the tubules were observed. In the caudal epididymis, fewer mature sperms and
swollen epithelial cells were found in the NP-treated group. Our results
confirmed that the subchronic low-dose NP exposure altered some male parameters
and induced histopathological abnormalities in testis and epididymis of F1 mice.
Since the NP dose used in this study is close to the average human daily NP
exposure, our results could provide practically meaningful understanding of
adverse effect of EDC in human.