Journal
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
Volume 220, Issue 1-2, Pages 67-75Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2004.03.008
Keywords
in-utero exposure; diethylstilbestrol; mouse; testis development; Leydig cell; StAR
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This study investigated the early deleterious effects of an in-utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) on mouse testicular development. To that purpose, pregnant mice were injected daily with up to 100 mug/kg DES from 10.5 to 17.5 days postcoitum (dpc). At 18.5 dpc, testes were removed from fetuses for RNA (RT-PCR) and protein (Western blot, immunohistochemistry) analysis. Twenty-two genes were selected among which transcription factors, markers of differentiation of the different testicular cell lineages, steroidogenic enzymes and hormone receptors. The Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory (StAR) protein produced by the fetal Leydig cells was dramatically reduced in the DES-exposed testes. The P450c17 was the other gene modified following DES exposure. The alteration of these two genes is consistent with the decrease observed in the intratesticular testosterone levels, in the DES-exposed testes. Collectively, we demonstrated that DES did not alter testicular cell lineage specification but that it strongly inhibited the major function of the fetal Leydig cells. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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