Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction

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Transient Gestational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (CrVI) Adversely Affects Testicular Differentiation: A Study in Rat Model


Affiliations
1 Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
2 Department of Anatomy, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
3 Life Sciences, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli – 620001, Tamil Nadu, India
4 Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A & M University, Texas, United States
5 Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, India
     

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Chromium (Cr), an essential trace element, turns into an endocrine disruptor and male reproductive toxicant when its concentration in drinking water exceeds the safe limit. Improper disposal of effluents from more than 50 industries that use Cr contaminate the environment, in addition to occupational exposure of the workers. Testis has come to stay as a target for the reproductive toxicity of hexavalent Cr (CrVI), whereas its impact on fetal testicular differentiation remains elusive. We tested the hypothesis “In utero exposure to CrVI may alter the level of specific proteins controlling differentiation of testicular cell types”. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to drinking water containing 50, 100 and 200 ppm potassium dichromate (CrVI) during gestational days 14 to 21, covering the period of fetal differentiation of testicular cells. Testes were collected on postnatal day 1 and subjected to light microscopic histological studies and immunohistochemical detection of cell-specific proteins. Testis of neonatal rats with gestational exposure to high doses of CrVI showed shrunken and dispersed tubules with fewer gonocytes, extensive vacuolization of seminiferous cord accompanied by damaged epithelium, and shrunken Leydig cells present in large interstitial spaces and loose compaction of cells when compared coeval control group. Immunosignals of androgen and estrogen receptor β increased, whereas those of estrogen receptor α, follicle stimulating hormone receptor, anti-Mullerian hormone, P450 aromatase, inhibin, c-fos and c-jun decreased. Immunosignals of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and CYP11A1 increased, whereas 3β - hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase and CYP17A1 proteins decreased, indicating compromised steroidogenic function. Our findings support the proposed hypothesis and we conclude that gestational exposure to CrVI disrupts specific hormones and hormone receptors that control fetal differentiation of testicular cells. The detrimental effect of gestational exposure to CrVI on functional differentiation of testicular cells may have a bearing on testicular function at adulthood.

Keywords

Gonocytes, Leydig Cell, Sertoli Cell, Steroidogenesis, Testis.
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  • Transient Gestational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (CrVI) Adversely Affects Testicular Differentiation: A Study in Rat Model

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Authors

Ajit Kumar Navin
Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
Navaneethabalakrishnan Shobana
Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
Sankar Venkatachalam
Department of Anatomy, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, Tamil Nadu, India
Mohammad Abdulkader Akbarsha
Life Sciences, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli – 620001, Tamil Nadu, India
Sakhila K. Banu
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A & M University, Texas, United States
Mariajoseph Michael Aruldhas
Department of Endocrinology, Dr. A.L.M. Post Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Taramani-Velachery Link Road, Chennai – 600113, India

Abstract


Chromium (Cr), an essential trace element, turns into an endocrine disruptor and male reproductive toxicant when its concentration in drinking water exceeds the safe limit. Improper disposal of effluents from more than 50 industries that use Cr contaminate the environment, in addition to occupational exposure of the workers. Testis has come to stay as a target for the reproductive toxicity of hexavalent Cr (CrVI), whereas its impact on fetal testicular differentiation remains elusive. We tested the hypothesis “In utero exposure to CrVI may alter the level of specific proteins controlling differentiation of testicular cell types”. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed to drinking water containing 50, 100 and 200 ppm potassium dichromate (CrVI) during gestational days 14 to 21, covering the period of fetal differentiation of testicular cells. Testes were collected on postnatal day 1 and subjected to light microscopic histological studies and immunohistochemical detection of cell-specific proteins. Testis of neonatal rats with gestational exposure to high doses of CrVI showed shrunken and dispersed tubules with fewer gonocytes, extensive vacuolization of seminiferous cord accompanied by damaged epithelium, and shrunken Leydig cells present in large interstitial spaces and loose compaction of cells when compared coeval control group. Immunosignals of androgen and estrogen receptor β increased, whereas those of estrogen receptor α, follicle stimulating hormone receptor, anti-Mullerian hormone, P450 aromatase, inhibin, c-fos and c-jun decreased. Immunosignals of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and CYP11A1 increased, whereas 3β - hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase and CYP17A1 proteins decreased, indicating compromised steroidogenic function. Our findings support the proposed hypothesis and we conclude that gestational exposure to CrVI disrupts specific hormones and hormone receptors that control fetal differentiation of testicular cells. The detrimental effect of gestational exposure to CrVI on functional differentiation of testicular cells may have a bearing on testicular function at adulthood.

Keywords


Gonocytes, Leydig Cell, Sertoli Cell, Steroidogenesis, Testis.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18311/jer%2F2017%2F23852