Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2022-73-3641
Prenatal and perinatal phthalate exposure is associated with sex-dependent changes in hippocampal miR-15b-5p and miR-34a- 5p expression and changes in testicular morphology in rat offspring
Peter Štefánik
orcid.org/0000-0002-1754-5790
; Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Jaroslav Michalec
; Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Martina Morová
orcid.org/0000-0001-5028-1072
; Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Lucia Olexová
orcid.org/0000-0003-0075-8906
; Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Lucia Kršková
orcid.org/0000-0003-4040-3456
; Comenius University in Bratislava Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Bratislava, Slovakia
Abstract
MicroRNAs are a large group of non-coding nucleic acids, usually 20–22 nt long, which bind to regulatory sections of messenger RNA (mRNA) and inhibit gene expression. However, genome activity is also regulated by hormones. Endocrine disruptors such as those from the phthalate group imitate or block these hormonal effects, and our previous study showed a long-lasting decrease in plasma testosterone levels in rat offspring exposed to a mixture of three phthalates in utero and postnatally. These effects were also observed at the behavioural level. To shed more light on these findings, in this new study we compared testicular tissue morphology between control and phthalatetreated males and investigated possible persistent changes and sex differences in the expression of two hippocampal microRNAs – miR-15b-5p and miR-34a-5p – participating in the transcription of steroidogenic genes. Histologically observed changes in testicular tissue morphology of phthalate-exposed males compared to control support testosterone drop observed in the previous study. At the microRNA level, we observed more significant changes in phthalate-treated females than in males. However, we are unable to relate these effects to the previously observed behavioural changes.
Keywords
cornus ammonis; dentate gyrus; di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate; di-isononyl phthalate; di-n-butyl phthalate; microRNA
Hrčak ID:
283980
URI
Publication date:
29.9.2022.
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