Increased expression of the testicular estrogen receptor alpha in adult mice exposed to low doses of methiocarb

Abstract

Methiocarb is a widely used carbamate pesticide and a suspected endocrine disrupter. The objective of this study was to examine the in vivo effects of methiocarb at low doses on testicular expression of steroid receptors, spermatogenesis and sperm quality in adult mice. Eighteen-week-old DBA/2 males were treated with daily intraperitoneal injection of methiocarb (0, 0.03, 0.3, 1.0 or 3.0 microg kg(-1) of body weight) for 20 days. Kidney and liver weights were significantly increased in the 1.0 or 3.0 microg kg(-1) treatment groups (P < 0.05). The testicular expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) was significantly increased in mice treated with methiocarb as confirmed by Western blot analysis. The sperm production and sperm quality of the methiocarb-exposed mice were not significantly altered as determined using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. Therefore, these results demonstrate, that although the exposure to methiocarb at low doses alters testicular ERalpha expression in adult mice, both sperm production and quality remain unaffected.