The effects of letrozole-induced maternal hyperandrogenism on sexual behaviors, testicular histology, and serum biochemical traits in male offspring rats: An experimental study.

Autor: Shaaban Z; Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran., Derakhshanfar A; Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.; Center of Comparative and Experimental Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Reza Jafarzadeh Shirazi M; Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran., Javad Zamiri M; Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran., Moayedi J; Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.; Center of Comparative and Experimental Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Vahedi M; Center of Comparative and Experimental Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran., Valizadeh A; Center of Comparative and Experimental Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: International journal of reproductive biomedicine [Int J Reprod Biomed] 2023 Feb 08; Vol. 21 (1), pp. 71-82. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 08 (Print Publication: 2023).
DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v21i1.12669
Abstrakt: Background: Intrauterine endocrine abnormalities have profound effects on the development of physiological disorders.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of in utero exposure to letrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) and its late consequences on the reproductive and metabolic performance of an adult male offspring.
Materials and Methods: 15 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (8 wk, 155 gr) were randomly assigned into 5 experimental groups (n = 3/each) and orally received either letrozole at doses of 0.25, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 mg/kg body weight (BW) or vehicle (control) on the gestation days of 16, 17, and 18. Pregnancy outcome, sexual behaviors on postnatal day 60, serum biochemical features, and the histopathology of testes were assessed in male offspring.
Results: Compared to control group, delayed labor (21.83 vs. 24.25, p < 0.0001) and reduced litter size (n = 12.25 vs. n = 2, p < 0.0001) were recorded in 1.25 mg/kg BW group. A reduction in high-density lipoprotein level and the elevation of testes weight, BW gain, anogenital distance, as well as the serum concentrations of testosterone, triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose were observed in 1.25 mg/kg BW (p < 0.0001) and 1.00 mg/kg BW (p < 0.0001) groups in comparison to control. A larger number of anogenital female sniffing, pursuit, and mounting behaviors were also observed in 1.25 mg/kg BW group in comparison to control (p < 0.0001). Severe testicular defects including necrosis and disruption of the epithelium of seminiferous tubules, sloughing of epithelial cells, and spermatogenesis arrest were observed in letrozole-treated groups, in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion: Maternal exposure to letrozole can adversely affect the reproductive and metabolic performance of male offspring rats, suggesting an incomplete sex differentiation.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research has been conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2023 Shaaban et al.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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