Perinatal exposure to a mixture of glyphosate and propiconazole alters the development of the ventral prostate in postpubertal rats

REATO D; GOMEZ AL; SCHIERANO-MAROTTI G; KASS L; ALTAMIRANO GA

Modalidad Virtual

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencias 2021; 2021

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica

Glyphosate (GLY) exposure induces adverse effects on the male reproductive system in rats, whereas propiconazole (PRO) exposure alters the steroidogenesis and induces a hepatotoxic action, which could increase or decrease the effects produced by GLY when both agrochemicals are used together. Our aim was to evaluate whether perinatal exposure to a mixture of PRO and GLY (PROGLY) alters the ventral prostate (VP) development in postpubertal rats. Pregnant rats were orally exposed to vehicle (saline solution) or a mixture of PRO and GLY (each 4 mg/kg/day), from gestation day 9 until weaning. On postnatal day 60, male offspring were euthanized, and the prostate and serum samples were collected. Body weight and wet weight of the prostate complex (anterior, dorsolateral and ventral lobes) plus seminal vesicles were recorded. The testosterone (T) serum level was measured. In the VP, height of the prostatic epithelium (HPE), acinar luminal area (ALA) and acinar area (AA) were evaluated, as well as the presence of lesions in histological sections. Also, the proliferation index (Ki67) was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Both body weight and relative prostate weight were similar between the experimental groups. Although a decreased serum T level was observed in rats exposed to PROGLY, no significant differences were found compared to controls. Histologically, the HPE was increased (Control: 20.3±1.1 µm vs PROGLY: 26.0±1.2 µm; p