Effect of acetamiprid on the immature murine testes

ABSTRACT

Neonicotinoids, such as acetamiprid (ACE), a pesticide used worldwide, are believed to be safe for human use. These molecules are structurally similar to nicotine, act as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists, and were shown to be associated with neuromuscular and reproductive disorders, but these experiments were primarily performed in mature animals. In this study, the effects of ACE on the testes of immature mice were examined. The exposure of 3-week-old mice to ACE-containing water for 180 days led to a decrease in body weight and mildly affected spermatogenesis. Additionally, the expression of testosterone-metabolism genes, nAChR subunit genes, and proliferation-associated genes decreased in the testes of ACE-treated mice. Our results show that immature rodents may be less sensitive to ACE than mature ones, that mice may be more likely to accumulate ACE than rats, and that the development of disorders may be affected by the accumulation of ACE in the testes.

KEYWORDS:

• Testis
• acetamiprid
• testosterone
• mouse
• spermatogenesis

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Osamu Tanaka, Dr. Kaori Suyama, Mr. Koichi Matsumoto, Ms. Mai Umezu, Mr. Noriyuki Kosemura, Ms. Kyoko Endo, and Ms. Yuko Furuya, all at Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan, for excellent technical and secretarial support. We are also grateful to Dr. Tadayuki Sato from the Support Center for Medical Research and Education, Tokai University, for excellent technical support.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization and Experimental Design, H. Terayama and K.S.; Investigation, H. Terayama, N.Q., H.E., M.I., K.U., H. Tsukamoto, and Y.F.; Formal Analysis, H. Terayama, N.Q., and M.T.; Writing, Review, & Editing, H. Terayama and K.S.

Declaration of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (JSPS KAKENHI) under Grant number [C26460809] and Tokai University Supporters Association Research and Study Grant.