Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.
1999 Apr;3(2):215-222.
Comparative effects on secretion of LH, FSH, prolactin, and testosterone by chronic and direct hypothalamic administration of nonylphenol to adult male rats
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, 29 Anseodong, Cheonan, Choongnam, South Korea.
- 2Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Dankook University, Cheonan 330-714, Korea.
Abstract
-
Nonylphenol (NP) is a widespread environmental pollutant that has been
shown to exert both toxic and estrogenic effects on mammalian cells. As
the effects of NP on the reproductive system of adult male vertebrates
are virtually unknown, we investigated not only the changes of
reproductive hormone secretion in serum after chronic exposure to NP
but also, in order to identify the site of its action, the reproductive
hormone secretion in serum 48 hours after microinfusion of NP within
hypothalamic preoptic area (POA). In the chronic exposure, the
luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and
testosterone in serum were decreased but prolactin (PRL) concentrations
were increased. The LH, FSH, and testosterone in serum were decreased
through the direct infusion of NP into POA, while there was no
difference in mean serum prolactin between NP and control groups. These
observations
suggest that NP as endocrine disruptor has modulatory
effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadalaxis and that the site of
action of NP could be hypothalamic POA.