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Published-Ahead-of-Print October 4, 2006, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.000802

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Effects of 3-Methyl-4-Nitrophenol in Diesel Exhaust Particles on the Regulation of Testicular Function in Immature Male Rats

ChunMei Li , Shinji Taneda , Akira K. Suzuki *, Chie Furuta , Gen Watanabe , and Kazuyoshi Taya

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: suzukiak{at}nies.go.jp.

We investigated the effects of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (4-nitro-m-cresol, PNMC) isolated from diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on the reproductive functions of male rats. Twenty-eight-day-old rats were injected subcutaneously with PNMC (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg) daily for 5 days. Weights of the epididymis, seminal vesicle, and Cowper's gland in PNMC- treated rats were significantly decreased with PNMC at 10 mg/kg. Plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly increased with PNMC at 100 mg/kg. However, plasma concentrations of testosterone and immunoreactive (ir)-inhibin were significantly decreased with PNMC at 100 mg/kg. Testicular contents of testosterone were significantly decreased in the group treated with PNMC at 100 mg/kg compared with the control group. Furthermore, testicular contents of ir-inhibin were significantly decreased with PNMC at 1 or 100 mg/kg. To investigate the direct effects of PNMC on the secretion of LH and FSH from the anterior pituitary gland, and on the secretion of testosterone from the testes, we exposed cultured anterior pituitary and interstitial Leydig cells to PNMC (10-6, 10-5, or 10-4 M) with or without gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 10 nM) (for LH and FSH tests) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 0.1 IU/mL) (for testosterone test) for 24 hours. PNMC did not change either basal or GnRH-stimulated FSH and LH secretion. However, PNMC significantly inhibited both basal and hCG-stimulated testosterone production. These findings suggest that PNMC has a direct effect on the testes, and that effect is to reduce testosterone secretion in immature rats.


Key words: Androgen • Testis • Leydig cell • pituitary




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