Dept of Ob/Gyn, University of Iowa, United States of America.
Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology and Dept of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, United States of America.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2021 Sep 1;426:115639. doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115639. Epub 2021 Jul 10.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are endocrine disrupting chemicals with documented, though mechanistically ill-defined, reproductive toxicity. The toxicity of dioxin-like PCBs, such as PCB126, is mediated via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in non-ovarian tissues. The goal of this study was to examine the uterine and ovarian effects of PCB126 and test the hypothesis that the AHR is required for PCB126-induced reproductive toxicity. Female Holzman-Sprague Dawley wild type (n = 14; WT) and Ahr knock out (n = 11; AHR) rats received a single intraperitoneal injection of either corn oil vehicle (5 ml/kg: WT_O and AHR_O) or PCB126 (1.63 mg/kg in corn oil: WT_PCB and AHR_PCB) at four weeks of age. The estrous cycle was synchronized and ovary and uterus were collected 28 days after exposure. In WT rats, PCB126 exposure reduced (P < 0.05) body and ovary weight, uterine gland number, uterine area, progesterone, 17β-estradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone level, secondary and antral follicle and corpora lutea number but follicle stimulating hormone level increased (P < 0.05). In AHR rats, PCB126 exposure increased (P ≤ 0.05) circulating luteinizing hormone level. Ovarian or uterine mRNA abundance of biotransformation, and inflammation genes were altered (P < 0.05) in WT rats due to PCB126 exposure. In AHR rats, the transcriptional effects of PCB126 were restricted to reductions (P < 0.05) in three inflammatory genes. These findings support a functional role for AHR in the female reproductive tract, illustrate AHR's requirement in PCB126-induced reprotoxicity, and highlight the potential risk of dioxin-like compounds on female reproduction.
多氯联苯(PCBs)是具有内分泌干扰作用的化学物质,其生殖毒性已得到证实,但作用机制尚不清楚。二恶英样 PCBs(如 PCB126)的毒性是通过非卵巢组织中的芳烃受体(AHR)介导的。本研究的目的是研究 PCB126 对子宫和卵巢的影响,并检验 AHR 是否是 PCB126 诱导生殖毒性所必需的假设。4 周龄时,雌性 Holzman-Sprague Dawley 野生型(n=14;WT)和 Ahr 敲除(n=11;AHR)大鼠分别接受单次腹腔注射玉米油(5ml/kg:WT_O 和 AHR_O)或 PCB126(1.63mg/kg 在玉米油中:WT_PCB 和 AHR_PCB)。发情周期同步,暴露后 28 天收集卵巢和子宫。在 WT 大鼠中,PCB126 暴露降低(P<0.05)了体重、卵巢重量、子宫腺数量、子宫面积、孕酮、17β-雌二醇和抗苗勒氏管激素水平、次级和窦卵泡及黄体数量,但卵泡刺激素水平升高(P<0.05)。在 AHR 大鼠中,PCB126 暴露增加(P≤0.05)了循环促黄体生成素水平。由于 PCB126 暴露,WT 大鼠的卵巢或子宫生物转化和炎症基因的 mRNA 丰度发生了改变(P<0.05)。在 AHR 大鼠中,PCB126 的转录效应仅限于三种炎症基因的降低(P<0.05)。这些发现支持 AHR 在雌性生殖道中的功能作用,说明了 AHR 在 PCB126 诱导的生殖毒性中的必要性,并强调了二恶英样化合物对女性生殖的潜在风险。