青春期前己烯雌酚暴露对SD大鼠睾丸发育及功能的影响

目的:研究青春期前己烯雌酚(DES)暴露对SD大鼠睾丸发育及功能的影响。方法:21日龄雄性SD大鼠90只,随机分为DES0.01、0.1、1.0、10.0μg/(kg.d)4个实验组和1个对照组(分别为Da、Db、Dc、Dd和C组,每组n=18)。于青春期前,即出生后第22d(postnatalday22,PND22)～35d(PND35),实验组每日皮下注射相应剂量的DES,共14d,对照组仅注射溶媒(玉米油)。观察各组大鼠睾丸下降时间。于青春期晚期(PND50)、性成熟后(PND64)和成年期(PND130)分3批(每批n=6)处死各组大鼠取材,测定睾丸重量,观察比较睾丸组织形态学变化,分析PND130大鼠附睾尾精子质量。结果:C、Da、Db、Dc和Dd组睾丸下降时间分别为PND26.17±1.94、26.83±1.47、28.68±1.03、33.50±1.87和41.50±2.74,其中Db、Dc和Dd组较C组明显延迟(P<0.05或P<0.01)。PND50时,C、Da、Db、Dc和Dd组单侧睾丸重量分别为(1.38±0.10)、(1.38±0.12)、(1.30±0.14)、(0.86±0.18)g和(0.73±0.27)g,其中Dc和Dd组较C组显著减轻(P<0.01);与C组比较,Db组仅有少数生精小管生精上皮中的细胞数目稍减少,Dc和Dd组生精小管发育较差、生精上皮中细胞数目减少、精子发生阻滞、间质细胞发育幼稚,其程度随DES暴露剂量增加而加重。PND64时,C、Da、Db、Dc和Dd组单侧睾丸重量分别为(1.60±0.06)、(1.62±0.11)、(1.58±0.08)、(1.47±0.10)g和(0.99±0.37)g,其中Dc和Dd组较C组显著减轻(P<0.05或P<0.01);Dc和Dd组睾丸组织形态学改变与PND50时类似,但总体较PND50有所改善。PND130时,各实验组与对照组比较,单侧睾丸重量差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),睾丸组织形态学改变难以鉴别出明显差异;C、Da、Db、Dc和Dd组大鼠附睾尾精子密度分别为(73.00±16.90)、(68.00±19.67)、(68.67±12.15)、(35.17±15.64)×106/ml和(19.13±5.17)×106/ml,其中Dc和Dd组精子密度较C组明显降低(P<0.01);与C组比较,Dd组精子活动率下降(P<0.01),Db、Dc和Dd组a级精子比例降低(P<0.05或P<0.01),Dd组b级精子比例降低(P<0.01)。结论:青春期前小剂量DES[0.01μg/(kg.d)×14d]暴露对SD大鼠睾丸发育及功能无明显影响,较大剂量DES[1.0～10.0μg/(kg.d)×14d]暴露对大鼠睾丸发育及功能有明显的近期(PND50和PND64)和较远期(PND130)毒性作用,该毒性作用随DES的暴露剂量增加而加重,随鼠龄增长而逐渐减退,其机制可能与间质细胞和支持细胞的发育及功能受损相关。

Effects of Prepubertal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol on Testicular Development and Function of SD Rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of prepubertal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the testicular development and function of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Ninety 21-day-old male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into 4 experimental groups (Da, Db, Dc and Dd), which were injected with DES dissolved in corn oil at the dose of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 microg/(kg x d) from postnatal day (PND) 22 to 35, and a control group (C), which received vehicle only. The testicular development of all the rats was observed, and their testes were harvested in the stages of late puberty (PND 50), sexual maturity (PND 64) and adulthood (PND 130) respectively to determine the weight and histological features of the testis and examine the quality of the sperm in the epididymal cauda of the PND 130 rats. RESULTS: The testis descent in the C, Da, Db, Dc and Dd groups occurred on PND 26.17 +/- 1.94, 26.83 +/- 1.47, 28.68 +/- 1.03, 33.50 +/- 1.87 and 41.50 +/- 2.74 respectively, significantly delayed in the Db, Dc and Dd groups compared with the C group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). On PND 50, the unilateral testis weights in the C, Da, Db, Dc and Dd groups were (1.38 +/- 0.01) g, (1.38 +/- 0.12) g, (1.30 +/- 0.14) g, (0.86 +/- 0.18) g and (0.73 +/- 0.27) g respectively, significantly less in the Dc and Dd groups than in the C group (P < 0.01). Compared with the C group, there was a slight decrease in the number of the cells in the epithelia of a few seminiferous tubules in the Db group on PND 50, maldevelopment of seminiferous tubules, reduced cell number in seminiferous epithelia, blocked spermatogenesis and aplasia of Leydig cells in the Dc and Dd groups in a dose-dependent manner. On PND 64, the unilateral testis weights in the C, Da, Db, Dc and Dd groups were (1.60 +/- 0. 06) g, (1.62 +/- 0.11) g, (1.58 +/- 0.08) g, (1.47 +/- 0.10) g and (0.99 +/- 0.37) g respectively, significantly less in the Dc and Dd groups than in the C group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the histological alteration of the testis in the Dc and Dd groups was similar to or less than that on PND 50. On PND 130, no statistic difference was observed either in unilateral testis weight or in the histological features of the testis between any experimental group and the control (P > 0.05). The sperm concentration in the epididymal cauda in the C, Da, Db, Dc and Dd groups were (73.00 +/- 16.90) x 10(6)/ml, (68.00 +/- 19.67) x 10(6)/ml, (68.67 +/- 12.15) x 10(6)/ml, (35.17 +/- 15.64) x 10(6)/ml and (19.13 +/- 5.17) x 10(6)/ml, significantly lower in the Dc and Dd groups than in the C group (P < 0.01). There was a significant decrease in sperm motility in the Dd group (P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a sperm in the Db, Dc and Dd groups (P < 0.05) and the percentage of grade b sperm in the Dd group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Prepubertal exposure to low dose of DES (0.01 microg/[kg x d] x 14 d) does not significantly affect the testicular development and function of SD rats, while high dose (1.0-10.0 microg/[kg x d] x 14 d) has significant short- (PND 50 and 64) or long-term (PND 130) toxic effect, which increases with dose and decreases with age. The mechanism of the toxic effect involves the insults to the development and function of Leydig and Sertoli cells.