Journal of Andrology, Vol. 24, No. 5, September/October 2003
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
Effects of Ethanol on Embryonic and Neonatal Rat Testes in Organ Cultures
HUI LI AND
KWAN HEE KIM
From the School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive
Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
|
Correspondence to: Dr Kwan Hee Kim, School of Molecular Biosciences,
Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4234 (e-mail:
khkim{at}wsu.edu). |
Ethanol exposure in adult animals and humans has shown to elicit
significant inhibitory effects on the function of male reproduction, but
consequences of ethanol exposure on the embryonic and early postnatal testis
development are not known. The current study investigated the effect of
ethanol on embryonic and neonatal testis development using an organ culture
technique. In embryonic day 13 (E13) testis organ cultures, ethanol had no
effect on the testicular cord formation, the expression of
Müllerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) in Sertoli cells or the number of
gonocytes. Similarly, in the ethanol-treated embryonic day 18 (E18) testes,
both the number of gonocytes and the expression of GATA-4 and MIS were similar
to those from the control testes. In contrast, in postnatal day 3 (P3) testes,
ethanol at concentrations of 150 and 200 mM significantly decreased the number
of gonocytes without affecting the expression of GATA-4 and MIS in Sertoli
cells. This effect was shown to be resulting from the enhanced apoptosis of
gonocytes. In addition, ethanol abnormally activated retinoic acid receptor
alpha (RAR
), as indicated by increased nuclear localization of
RAR with increasing doses of ethanol treatment. These observations
suggest that the effect of ethanol on testis varies at different stages during
embryonic and neonatal testis development. Furthermore, germ cells may be the
main target for the action of ethanol on the early postnatal testis.
Key words: Gonocytes, Sertoli cells, testis, seminiferous cords, apoptosis
Copyright © 2003 by The American Society of Andrology.
