Perfluorooctane sulfonate-induced testicular toxicity and differential testicular expression of estrogen receptor in male mice

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS, CAS#1763-23-1) causes male reproductive toxicities, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, 0, 0.5 and 10 mg/kg/day PFOS were given by oral gavage to adult mice for 5 weeks. In the 10 mg/kg group, serum testosterone levels decreased significantly. Sperm counts declined which might be associated with the decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of germ cells. In relation to increased apoptosis, box, cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 levels elevated significantly, indicating that PFOS induced germ cell apoptosis by activating the mitochondrial pathway. In addition, the increase in levels of testicular estrogen receptor (ER) beta was observed in both 0.5 and 10 mg/kg group, whereas a decrease in ER expression was only observed in 10 mg/kg group. These results suggested that the alterations in testicular ERs expression, together with decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis of germ cells, might be involved in PFOS-induced testicular toxicity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.