Maternal exposure to Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) activates the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in F1 and F2 generation adult mouse testis

Abstract

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (diethylhexyl phthalate, DEHP) can cause male reproductive damage in rodents and human. Moreover, DEHP is known to promote transgenerational inheritance of adult-onset disease in subsequent generations after maternal exposure during fetal gonadal development. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway has been implicated in germ cell survival following testicular damage. In this study, a F0 gestation DEHP exposure and transgenerational inheritance testis injury model was established to study the testis injury phenotype and the expression and activation of members of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in the testis of F1–F3 generation mice. We found that the bodyweight and the anogenital distance (AGD) are reduced only in F1 mice, the sperm motility and deformity decreased in F1–F3 mice, and the testicular histomorphology damagedin F1–F3 mice; however the sperm motility and deformity rates are increased and the histomorphological injury is repaired during the transgenerational process. We also found the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is enhanced in F1 and F2, and the number of apoptotic cells is decreased in F3 generation mice compared to the control group. These results suggest that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway may be activated to promote the proliferation and differentiation and protect testicular cells from apoptosis in the F1 and F2 generation mice after direct exposure to DEHP.