Effects of Nonylphenol Injection into Maternal Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) on the Female Reproductive Functions of F1 Generation

Abstract

The aim of the current study was to determine whether administration of nonylphenol to laying quail causes disorder of female reproductive functions in F1 generation. Regularly laying Japanese quail were daily-injected i.m. with 50μl of corn oil or 10 μg of 4-nonylphenol for 5 days. Fertilized eggs from both groups were collected on 2 d, 4 d and 6 d after the first injection (C1, C3, C5 in oil treated group ; N1, N3 and N5 in nonylphenol treated group). The chicks hatched from these eggs were reared to maturity, and their reproductive functions and oviductal structures (including the distribution of calcium binding protein-D28K ; CaBP-D28K) were examined. The area showing immunopositive for CaBP-D28K in the tubular glands of shell gland was significantly greater in C1 than N1 and in C3 than in N3. Although the rate of egg-laying was significantly higher in C3 than in N3, no differences were observed in the other nonylphenol-treated groups compared with their corresponding control. The nonylphenol treatment did not affect the age of sexual maturity, periods of laying fertilized eggs, fertility and egg-shell quality. Histology of the oviductal magnum, isthmus and uterovaginal junction including sperm storage tubules showed no structural difference among each group. These results suggest that injection of maternal birds with nonylphenol may affect the shell gland development to reduce the density of tubular gland in F1 generation.