Prenatal exposure to ethinylestradiol alters the morphologic patterns and increases the predisposition for prostatic lesions in male and female gerbils during ageing

Author(s)

Perez, Ana P. S. ^[1] ; Biancardi, Manoel F. ^[1] ; Caires, Cassia R. S. ^[2] ; Falleiros-Junior, Luiz R. ^[2] ; Goes, Rejane M. ^{[1, 2]} ; Vilamaior, Patricia S. L. ^[2] ; Santos, Fernanda C. A. ^[3] ; Taboga, Sebastiao R. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, UNICAMP, Inst Biol, Dept Struct & Funct Biol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Sao Paulo State Univ, Inst Biosci Letters & Exact Sci, Dept Biol, IBILCE UNESP, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Goias, Dept Morphol, UFG, Goiania, Go - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: International Journal of Experimental Pathology; v. 97, n. 1, p. 5-17, FEB 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Ethinylestradiol (EE) is an endocrine disruptor (ED) which acts as an oestrogen agonist; this compound is known as an oral contraceptive. Male and female rodents exposed to EE during critical time points of development, such as in the prenatal period, show alterations in their reproductive tract during adulthood. Few studies have placed an emphasis on the effects of EE during ageing. Thus, this study had as it's objective the analysis of the morphological and immunohistochemical effects of exposure to EE in the prenatal period on ventral male prostate and female prostate of gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) during ageing. The animals were exposed to EE (15g/kg/day) during the 18-22th days of prenatal life (EE/PRE group), and the analyses were performed when the male and female reached 12months of age. Our results showed an increase in the development of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), which was observed in the male and female prostate of EE/PRE groups. Immunohistochemistry showed a rise in prostatic epithelial and basal cells immunoreactivity, respectively, and to AR and p63 in the male EE/PRE. There were alterations in the morphological pattern of the prostatic glands and increase in predisposition to emergence of prostatic lesions of both sexes during ageing. Despite male and female having been exposed to the same doses of EE, the exposure to EE promoted modifications more accentuated in the male prostate. Thus the male gland is more sensitive to the action of this synthetic oestrogen than the female prostate. (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
• FAPESP's process: 11/06335-9 - Effects of intrauterine and puberal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the old gerbils prostate
• Grantee: Sebastião Roberto Taboga
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants