Postnatal exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide modifies mammary gland growth and development in Wistar male rats

ALTAMIRANO, GABRIELA A.; DELCONTE, MELISA B.; GOMEZ, AYELEN L.; INGARAMO, PAOLA I.; BOSQUIAZZO, VERÓNICA L.; LUQUE, ENRIQUE H.; MUÑOZ-DE-TORO, MÓNICA; KASS, LAURA

FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2018 vol. 118 p. 111 - 118

0278-6915

Our aim was to evaluate whether postnatal exposure to a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) modifies mammarygland development in pre- and post-pubertal male rats. From postnatal day 1 (PND1) to PND7, male rats wereinjected subcutaneously every 48 h with either saline solution (vehicle) or 2 mg GBH/kg·bw. On PND21 andPND60, mammary gland and blood samples were collected. Estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) serum levels,mammary gland histology, collagen fiber organization, mast cell infiltration, proliferation index, and estrogen(ESR1) and androgen receptor (AR) expression levels were evaluated. At PND21, GBH-exposed male rats exhibitedgreater development of the mammary gland with increased stromal collagen organization and terminalend buds (TEBs) compared to control rats. At PND60, the number of TEBs remained high and was accompaniedby an increase in mast cell infiltration, proliferation and ESR1 expression in GBH-exposed male rats. In contrast,no effects were observed in E2 and T serum levels and AR expression in both days studied. Our results showedthat a postnatal subacute treatment with GBH induces endocrine-disrupting effects in the male mammary glandin vivo, altering its normal development.