Endocrine-disrupting chemicals rapidly affect intercellular signaling in Leydig cells

Investor logo
Investor logo

Warning

This publication doesn't include Faculty of Arts. It includes Faculty of Science. Official publication website can be found on muni.cz.
Authors

YAWER Affiefa SYCHROVÁ Eliška LABOHÁ Petra RAŠKA Jan JAMBOR Tomas BABICA Pavel SOVADINOVÁ Iva

Year of publication 2020
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Toxicology and applied pharmacology
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0041008X20303033?via%3Dihub
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2020.115177
Keywords Connexins; Endocrine-disrupting chemicals; Gap junctional intercellular communication; Leydig cells; Reproductive toxicants; Steroidogenesis
Description A decline in male fertility possibly caused by environmental contaminants, namely endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), is a topic of public concern and scientific interest. This study addresses a specific role of testicular gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) between adjacent prepubertal Leydig cells in endocrine disruption and male reproductive toxicity. Organochlorine pesticides (lindane, methoxychlor, DDT), industrial chemicals (PCB153, bisphenol A, nonylphenol and octylphenol) as well as personal care product components (triclosan, triclocarban) rapidly dysregulated GJIC in murine Leydig TM3 cells. The selected GJIC-inhibiting EDCs (methoxychlor, triclosan, triclocarban, lindane, DDT) caused the immediate GJIC disruption by the relocation of gap junctional protein connexin 43 (Cx43) from the plasma membrane and the alternation of Cx43 phosphorylation pattern (Ser368, Ser279, Ser282) of its full-length and two N-truncated isoforms. After more prolonged exposure (24 h), EDCs decreased steady-state levels of full-length Cx43 protein and its two N-truncated isoforms, and eventually (triclosan, triclocarban) also tight junction protein Tjp-1. The disturbance of GJIC was accompanied by altered activity of mitogen-activated protein kinases MAPK-Erk1/2 and MAPK-p38, and a decrease in stimulated progesterone production. Our results indicate that EDCs might disrupt testicular homeostasis and development via disruption of testicular GJIC, a dysregulation of junctional and non-junctional functions of Cx43, activation of MAPKs, and disruption of an early stage of steroidogenesis in prepubertal Leydig cells. These critical disturbances of Leydig cell development and functions during a prepubertal period might be contributing to impaired male reproduction health later on.
Related projects:

You are running an old browser version. We recommend updating your browser to its latest version.