METHYL TERIARY-BUTYL ETHER CAUSES TESTICULAR INJURY

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。MTBE是一种常见的汽油添加剂和地下水污染物。初步证据表明，MTBE改变小鼠睾丸激素的产生，并可导致精管异常增加。这些观察结果导致了一种假设，即MTBE是一种内分泌干扰物，当雄性小鼠和大鼠在子宫内暴露于MTBE时，它可以改变雄性生殖发育。通过在妊娠12-19天内将定时怀孕的雌性小鼠暴露于800 ppb的MTBE，验证了这一假设。对照组和mtbe处理小鼠的雄性后代在60日龄时被杀死，并检查大体形态差异。此外，还记录了肛门生殖器距离、身体、睾丸、附睾和精囊的重量。血清样本正在等待睾酮水平的分析，睾丸和附睾正在等待组织学分析。结果显示，相对附睾重量下降（p0.05），肛门生殖器距离增加

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. MTBE is a common gasoline additive and groundwater contaminant. Preliminary evidence indicates that MTBE alters mouse testosterone production and can lead to increased seminiferous tubule abnormalities. These observations have resulted in the hypothesis that MTBE is an endocrine disrupter which can alter male reproductive development when male mice and rats are exposed to MTBE in utero. This hypothesis was tested by exposing timed pregnant female mice to MTBE at 800 ppb during GD (gestational days) 12-19. Male progeny of control and MTBE-treated mice were killed at 60 days of age and examined for gross morphological differences. In addition, anogenital distance, body, testis, epidiymal, and seminal vesicle weights were recorded. Serum samples are awaiting analysis of testosterone levels and testes and epididymes are awaiting histological analysis. The results indicate decreases in relative epididymal weight (statistically significant at p0.05) and increased anogenital distance