Clin Exp Reprod Med.  2012 Mar;39(1):15-21. 10.5653/cerm.2012.39.1.15.

Tributyltin increases the expression of apoptosis- and adipogenesis-related genes in rat ovaries

• Lee H
• Lim S
• Yun S
• Yoon A
• Park G
• Yang H

• KMID: 2167515
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2012.39.1.15

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Tributyltin (TBT), an endocrine disrupting chemical, has been reported to decrease ovarian function by causing apoptosis in the ovary, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Therefore, we examined whether TBT increases the expression of adipogenesis-related genes in the ovary and the increased expression of these genes is associated with apoptosis induction.
METHODS
Three-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered TBT (1 or 10 mg/kg body weight) or sesame oil as a control for 7 days. The ovaries were obtained and weighed on day 8, and then they were fixed for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) or frozen for RNA extraction. Using the total RNA of the ovaries, adipogenesis- and apoptosis-related genes were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
RESULTS
The ovarian weight was significantly decreased in rats administered 10 mg/kg TBT compared to that in control rats. As determined by the TUNEL assay, the number of apoptotic follicles in ovary was significantly increased in rats administered 10 mg/kg TBT. The real-time PCR results showed that the expression of adipogenesis-related genes such as PPARgamma, aP2, CD36, and PEPCK was increased after TBT administration. In addition, apoptosis-related genes such as TNFalpha and TNFR1 were expressed more in the TBT-administered rats compared with the control rats.
CONCLUSION
The present study demonstrates that TBT induces the expression of adipogenesis- and apoptosis-related genes in the ovary leading to apoptosis in the ovarian follicles. These results suggest that the increased expression of adipogenesis-related genes in the ovary by TBT exposure might induce apoptosis resulting in a loss of ovarian function.

Keyword

Adipogenesis; Apoptosis; Ovarian follicle; Ovary; Tributyltin; Sprague-Dawley rats

MeSH Terms

Adipogenesis
Animals
Apoptosis
DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
Female
In Situ Nick-End Labeling
Ovarian Follicle
Ovary
PPAR gamma
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I
RNA
Sesame Oil
Trialkyltin Compounds
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
PPAR gamma
RNA
Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I
Sesame Oil
Trialkyltin Compounds
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha