Abstract
The impact of exogenic testosterone (T): 1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg.bw) and 19-nortestosterone 17-decanoate (ND): 1.5 and 7.5 mg/kg.bw) in castrated male rats was evaluated based on: (a) weight increase of the androgen target tissues, respecting the Hershberger methodology; (b) the 17α and β-testosterone, 17 α and β-estradiol and 17 α and β-nortestosterone levels using the GC-MS/MS technique; and (c) observation of the serum free thyroxine levels (T4). Results revealed that T and ND significantly increased the weight of androgen target tissues as follows: ND was more influential on seminal vesicles, levator ani-bulbocavernosus muscle (LABC) and Cowper's glands and T (at a dose of 3.0 mg/kg.bw) influenced the weight of the ventral prostate and glans penis. Serum samples analyzed for steroid hormone levels showed the presence of 17β-testosterone, 17β-estradiol and 17β-nor-testosterone, in castrated male rats injected with testosterone and nortestosterone, but no significant differences were found between thyroid responses and thyroid hormone levels. The results of this research proved the disrupting activity of T and ND when administered in high doses and the useful application of the Hershberger bioassay in the case of ND.
Highlights
Reproductive disorders can be considered significant causes of health risk
Our study revealed that nortestosterone decanoate produced the most significant weight gain concerning in order: the seminal vesicles, levator ani-bulbocavernosus muscle (LABC) and Cowper’s glands in each dose and testosterone in large doses affected the growth of: ventral prostate and glans penis
In the groups treated with testosterone, the 17b-estradiol values obtained indicated biotransformation, while estrogenic values for nortestosterone decanoate were considerably lower
Summary
Reproductive disorders can be considered significant causes of health risk. Due to the complexity of mammalian biology, testing on animal models is currently the key to assess chemical hazards to the human reproductive system [1,2,3].Steroid hormones are considered to be reference substances in terms of endocrine disruption, because they are mainly recognised as the most bioactive compounds in mammalian organisms [4,5].In males, neuro-hormonal signals transmit information to: the hypothalamic anterior-pituitary levels, the interstitial Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and to the germinative seminal epithelium. Reproductive disorders can be considered significant causes of health risk. Due to the complexity of mammalian biology, testing on animal models is currently the key to assess chemical hazards to the human reproductive system [1,2,3]. Steroid hormones are considered to be reference substances in terms of endocrine disruption, because they are mainly recognised as the most bioactive compounds in mammalian organisms [4,5]. Fertility and fecundity can be inhibited by altering the function of any of these levels that concern the male genitalia and can be important in assessing the risk associated with the use of anabolic substances administered directly to humans, or used on livestock destined for human consumption, through their longterm effect [6,7,8,9,10,11].
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