Yoshida, S.; Ichinose, T.; Arashidani, K.; He, M.; Takano, H.; Shibamoto, T. Effects of Fetal Exposure to Asian Sand Dust on Development and Reproduction in Male Offspring. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2016, 13, 1173.
Yoshida, S.; Ichinose, T.; Arashidani, K.; He, M.; Takano, H.; Shibamoto, T. Effects of Fetal Exposure to Asian Sand Dust on Development and Reproduction in Male Offspring. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 1173.
Yoshida, S.; Ichinose, T.; Arashidani, K.; He, M.; Takano, H.; Shibamoto, T. Effects of Fetal Exposure to Asian Sand Dust on Development and Reproduction in Male Offspring. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2016, 13, 1173.
Yoshida, S.; Ichinose, T.; Arashidani, K.; He, M.; Takano, H.; Shibamoto, T. Effects of Fetal Exposure to Asian Sand Dust on Development and Reproduction in Male Offspring. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 1173.
Abstract
In recent experimental studies, we reported the aggravating effects of Asian sand dust (ASD) on male reproductive function in mice. However, the effects of fetal ASD exposure on male reproductive function have not been investigated. The present study investigated the effects of fetal ASD exposure on reproductive function in male offspring. Using pregnant CD-1 mice, ASD was administered intratracheally on days 7 and 14 of gestation, and the reproductive function of male offspring was determined at 5, 10, and 15 weeks after birth. The secondary sex ratio was significantly lower in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. Histologic examination showed partial vacuolation of seminiferous tubules in immature mice. Moreover, daily sperm production (DSP) was significantly less in the fetal ASD-exposed mice than in the controls. DSP in the fetal ASD-exposed mice was approximately 10% less than the controls at both 5 and 10 weeks. However, both the histologic changes and the DSP decrease were reversed as the mice matured. These findings suggest that ASD exposure affects both the fetal development and the reproductive function of male offspring. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify the onset mechanisms of ASD-induced male fetus death and male reproductive disorders.
Keywords
asian sand dust; in utero exposure; secondary sex ratio; male reproduction; daily sperm production
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
