1. Endocrine disrupting effect of di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate on female rats and proteome analyses of their pituitaries
- Author
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Kazuyuki Yano, Narumi Hirosawa, Yasushi Sakamoto, and Yuko Suzuki
- Subjects
endocrine system ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Proteome ,Estrous Cycle ,Biology ,Biochemistry ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Plasticizers ,Diethylhexyl Phthalate ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Animals ,Endocrine system ,Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ,Molecular Biology ,Estrous cycle ,Estradiol ,Kinase ,Phthalate ,Rats ,Endocrinology ,chemistry ,Endocrine disruptor ,Pituitary Gland ,Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ,Female ,Luteinizing hormone ,Gonadotropins ,Hormone - Abstract
Di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer and a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that may have adverse effects on human reproductive health. We examined the long-term exposure effects of DEHP on female rats and observed a strong effect on estrous cyclicity that produced a continuous diestrous stage. We found that the serum estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), pituitary FSH and luteinizing hormone levels were significantly reduced in the treated rats. To examine on the endocrine disrupting effects, we performed proteome-based analyses of their pituitaries, and found two proteins with remarkably reduced their levels. They were identified as the valosin-containing peptide/p97 (VCP/p97) and UMP-CMP kinase and their average protein spot intensities on statistical analysis of the spots differences of the treated/control rats were 0.13 and 0.21, respectively. Furthermore, there were 14 other proteins that had significantly changed levels, and their average protein spot intensities were in a range of 0.26 to 0.50 in 13 proteins and 2.74 in one. The reduction of in level of 7 proteins seems to be related to the intracellular protein transporting pathway, and it appears to suggest a slow down of gonadotrophin-releasing capability. Reduction of gonadotrophin release in the pituitary seems to lead to a decrease of serum estradiol level and continuous diestrous stage in estrous cyclicity.
- Published
- 2006