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Abstract: To investigate the effects of nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust (NR-DE) on adrenocortical function, seven-week-old male mice were divided into four groups and exposed to either whole NR-DE at low (41.73μg/m3, 8.21×105 particles/cm3), high (152.01μg/m3, 1.80×106 particles/cm3) concentrations, filtered diesel exhaust (F-DE) or clean air for 8 weeks (5h/day, 5 days/week). After 8 weeks of exposure, the animals were euthanized under pentobarbital anesthesia and the blood samples were collected to detect serum progesterone and corticosterone. In addition, adrenal glands were excised, and adrenal cells were cultured in the absence or presence of rat adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (10−15 to 10−10 M) for 4h. There were no significant differences in the body weight, absolute and relative adrenal gland weight among the groups. Serum concentration of corticosterone and progesterone was not changed significantly. Administration of ACTH resulted in a dose-dependent increase in corticosterone and progesterone release in mice-exposed to low-concentration NR-DE and clean air. Moreover, corticosterone and progesterone concentrations in adrenal cells increased significantly in mice-exposed to low-concentration NR-DE basal and administrated with ACTH (10−15 to 10−11 M for corticosterone; 10−14 to 10−11 M for progesterone) compared with the control mice. In contrast, the concentration of corticosterone and progesterone decreased significantly in mice-exposed to high-concentration NR-DE or F-DE basal and administrated with ACTH (10−12 to 10−10 M for corticosterone; 10−15 to 10−10 M for progesterone) compared with the control mice. These results suggest that exposure to NR-DE or F-DE may disrupt adrenocortical function in adult male mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We previously reported that exposure to low (22.5±0.2nm in diameter, 15.4±1.0μg/m3 in mass weight, 2.27×105/cm3 in mean number concentration), and medium (26.1±0.5nm, 36.4±1.2μg/m3, 5.11×105/cm3) concentrations of nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust (NR-DE) for 1 and 2 months (5h/day, 5 days/week) significantly increased plasma testosterone in male Fischer 344 rats, whereas exposure to a high concentration (27.1±0.5nm, 168.8±2.7μg/m3, 1.36×106/cm3) did not. The present study attempts to clarify the mechanism of this elevation. Low and medium exposures to NR-DE for 1 and 2 months significantly increased steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)- and cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc)-mRNA and their protein expressions in the testis of rats, in which the elevation pattern was very similar to that of plasma testosterone levels. Interestingly, both exposure levels for 1 month significantly increased growth hormone (GH) receptor expression in the testis, and low exposure also increased testicular insulin-like growth factor I-mRNA levels and hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 2C11-mRNA and their protein levels in rats. These two factors are thought to be related to growth hormone secretion. Disruption of testosterone biosynthesis by NR-DE exposure may be a mode of action for reproductive toxicity, which may, in part, be regulated by increasing StAR and P450scc expressions via GH signalling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are considered to be one of the most important air pollutants. In this study, the protective effect of quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid, on oxidative damage of testicular cells was studied by analysis of the intracellular antioxidant system of embryonic chickens after treatment with 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (PNMC) derived from DEP. Testicular cells from 18-day-old embryos were cultured in serum-free McCoys’5A medium and challenged with PNMC (10−7 to 10−5 M) alone or in combinations with quercetin (1.0μg/ml) for 48h. Results showed that exposure to PNMC (10−5 M) induced condensed nuclei and vacuolated cytoplasm, a decrease in testicular cell viability and spermatogonial cell number. Exposure to PNMC induced lipid peroxidation by an elevation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as well as decreasing glutathione peroxidation activity and superoxide dismutase activity. However, simultaneous supplementation with quercetin restored these parameters to the similar levels as the control. PNMC is therefore concluded to have induced the oxidative stress of the spermatogonial cells, which can be attenuated by combined quercetin treatment. Our results support the therapeutic use of quercetin in the prevention or treatment of the reproductive toxicity by environmental toxicant PNMC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigated the effects of in utero exposure to nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust (NR-DE) on reproductive function in male rats. Pregnant F344 rats were exposed to NR-DE (148.86μg/m3, 1.83×106 particles/cm3, 3.40ppm CO, 1.46ppm NOx), filtered diesel exhaust (F-DE; 3.10μg/m3, 2.66particles/cm3, 3.30ppm CO, 1.41ppm NOx), or clean air (as a control) from gestation days 1 to 19 (gestation day 0=day of sperm-positivity). Male offspring were examined on postnatal day 28. The relative weights of the seminal vesicle and prostate to body weight were decreased after exposure to NR-DE or F-DE compared with controls. Serum concentrations of testosterone, progesterone, corticosterone, and follicle stimulating hormone and testicular concentrations of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA were decreased after exposure to NR-DE or F-DE compared with control levels. In contrast, serum concentrations of immunoreative inhibin were increased after exposure to NR-DE or F-DE compared with control levels, whereas transcription of follicle stimulating hormone receptor mRNA was increased in the NR-DE exposure group only. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to NR-DE or F-DE leads to endocrine disruption after birth and suppresses testicular function in male rats. Because both the NR-DE and F-DE-exposed groups reacted to the same extent, the nanoparticles in DE did not contribute to the observed reproductive toxicity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]