EFFECT OF LOW DOSES OF 2,4-DICHLOROPHENOXYACETIC ACID (2,4-D) ON THE BLOOD-TESTIS BARRIER (BTB) PERMEABILITY IN JUVENILE RATS

SORIA DANIEL; DASSO MARINA E; CENTOLA, CECILIA L.; SOBARZO CRISTIAN M; GALARDO M NOEL; RIERA M FERNANDA; MERONI SILVINA B

Congreso; Reunión Anual de Sociedades de Biociencias (SAIC); 2022

A progressive decline in male reproductive function has been observed over the past 50 years. Epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that one of the main causes is exposure to xenobiotics. 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was the first synthetic herbicide to be developed commercially and has been used agronomically and in nonagricultural applications for weed control for more than 60 years. In addition to its low cost, 2,4-D has environmentally friendly properties such as short environmental persistence and low toxicity to humans and wildlife. However, the possible effects on testicular function have been little barely studied.In the testis, the BTB isolates germ cells providing an adequate microenvironment for their development. Concordantly, defects in the BTB lead to harmful effects on spermatogenesis. No studies have been conducted to assess if early life exposure to 2,4-D represents any potential risk to BTB function. The objective of this work was to analyze the effects of low doses of 2,4-D on BTB integrity in vivo. Male rats were treated with oral doses of 2,4-D (Rfd: 0.005 mg/kg/day; NOAEL: 5 mg/kg/day) from postnatal day (pnd) 20 to 33, period in which BTB is being established. Controls (C) received vehicle (corn oil). The integrity of the BTB was evaluated on pnd 34 using a biotinylated tracer. Histological and meiosis progression analyses were also performed. It was observed that both doses of 2,4-D induced an increase in the permeability of the BTB that enables the passage of the tracer to the adluminal compartment of the seminiferous tubule (C: 5.8±1; 2,4-D 000.5: 9.9±2.1*; 2,4-D 5: 13.9±3.2*; % of permeated tubules, P