2007 Volume 53 Issue 3 Pages 465-471
Expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) is mainly found in the Leydig cells from which steroid hormones are biosynthesized in the testes. To investigate whether endocrine disruptors affect the microenvironment of the testes, the mRNA expression of 3β-HSD as a molecular marker for androgen biosynthesis was analyzed in rat testes exposed to several endocrine disruptors using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction technique. Testosterone [50, 200 and 1,000 μg/kg body weight (BW)], flutamide (1, 5 and 25 mg/kg BW), ketoconazole (0.2, 1, 5 and 25 mg/kg BW), diethylhexyl phthalate (10, 50 and 250 mg/kg BW), nonylphenol (10, 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg BW), octylphenol (10, 50 and 250 mg/kg BW), and diethylstilbestrol (10, 20 and 40 μg/kg BW) were orally administered to 4-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats for 3 weeks daily. Although testosterone at a low dose (50 μg/kg/day) increased the expression of 3β-HSD mRNA, it was significantly decreased in the rats treated with 200 or 1,000 μg/kg/day testosterone compared with the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, ketoconazole, diethylhexyl phthalate, nonylphenol, octylphenol and diethylstilbestrol caused significant downregulation of 3β-HSD mRNA in the testes at all doses (P<0.05). However, flutamide remarkably increased the level of 3β-HSD mRNA in the testes (P<0.05). These results suggest that endocrine disruptors may influence androgen biosynthesis in the testes by alteration of 3β-HSD mRNA expression.
