Effects of exposure to low dose of ethinylestradiol during the prenatal and puberal phases on male and female prostate of senile gerbils

Author(s)

Ana Paula da Silva Perez

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Biologia
• Defense date: 2014-02-24

Examining board members

Sebastião Roberto Taboga; Maria Christina Werneck de Avellar; Ana Claudia Polli Lopes; Wellerson Rodrigo Scarano; Silvia Borges Pimentel de Oliveira

• Advisor: Fernanda Cristina Alcântara dos Santos; Sebastião Roberto Taboga

Abstract

Endocrine disruptor (ED) are exogenous agents that interfere in the endocrine system function. 17?-ethinylestradiol, an important component of oral contraceptives is an example of ED. Studies with male and female rodents have reported that exposure to ED during the prenatal period is able to elicit aberrant pathological proliferations in the reproductive system, inclusive in the prostate of the adult animal. However, the amount known about the actual action of estrogen on male and female prostate, mainly as is the behavior of both prostates during imbalance between androgen and estrogen that occurs in pubertal period and during senescence of these glands. Thus the present study aimed to evaluate by morphological, serological, histopathological and immunohistochemical methods, as the exposure to low dose of ethinylestradiol during the prenatal and pubertal periods acts on ventral male prostate and female prostate of senile gerbil. Thus, we divided the experimental groups according to the period of exposure to EE (15?g/kg/day). EE/PRE during the prenatal period, EE/PUB during puberty and EE/PRE-PUB during the prenatal period and puberty. Exposure to synthetic estrogens during development affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis this alters the production of steroid hormones. The results showed that exposure to EE during developing prostate changed steroid hormones levels, decreasing testosterone levels in senile male of EE/PRE and EE-PRE/PUB groups and increased in senile female of EE/PRE group. The estradiol levels enhanced in females of EE /PRE-PUB group. In addition, EE exposure during the prenatal and pubertal periods altered the immunoreactivity of AR, ER? and ER?, as the function of these receptors are critical for prostate development, changes these signaling pathways contributed to increase of development of lesion and inflammation prostate in males and females during senescence. The stromal-epithelium interaction was also affected by exposure to EE during developing, was observed by decreased immunoreactivity of smooth muscle ?-actin in regions where noted invasive lesions, mainly in the ventral male prostate of senile gerbil. Frequencies positive cells of p63 decreased in the ventral male prostate of EE/PRE group, the basal layer decreases in locals with NIP focus, and these frequencies increased the female prostate EE/PUB group. However, these data showed that the ventral male prostate of senile gerbil was more sensible to effects of exposure to EE compared to female prostate. Senescence is characterized by reducing of sexual hormones, in this phase increases the prostatic diseases in males and females. Exposure to EE during critical periods as prenatal and puberty accentuated the changes in prostate glandular structure and increased the developing prostatic lesions in senescence. As prenatal period, pubertal was also considered a critical phase during the exposure to EE on male and female prostate of senile gerbil. The use of EE during gestational or puberty phases significantly alters male and female prostate health during aging, and the gerbil was considered a good model for this study (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/16790-5 - Prostate evaluation of the male and female senile gerbils exposed to ethinylestradiol during pre natal and pubertal period
• Grantee: Ana Paula da Silva Perez
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate