Toluene Can Disrupt Rat Ovarian Follicullogenesis and Steroidogenesis and Induce Both Autophagy and Apoptosis

Short- and long-term effects of chronic toluene exposure on spatial memory in adolescent and adult male Wistar rats

Addiction to toluene-containing volatile inhalants is of significant medical and social concern, particularly among youth. These concerns are underscored by the fact that the majority of adult abusers of toluene started as teenagers. Surprisingly, however, the lasting effects of chronic toluene exposure, especially in various age groups, have not been well investigated. Recently, we reported that adolescent and adult male Wistar rats show differential responses to chronic toluene exposure in recognition memory tasks. Since different cognitive functions may be differentially affected by drugs of abuse, we used the same model to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of chronic toluene on spatial learning and memory using Morris water maze. Daily exposure to toluene (2000 ppm) for 40 days (5 min/day) resulted in age-dependent behavioral changes. For example, only adolescent animals showed a decrease in time and distance travelled to find the hidden platform 24 h after the last toluene exposure. In contrast, only adult rats exhibited a decrease in acquisition time and distance travelled at 90 days' post toluene exposure. Our data provide further support for the contention that age-dependent responses should be taken into consideration in interventional attempts to overcome specific detrimental consequences of chronic toluene exposure.

Ginkgo, fennel, and flaxseed can affect hormone release by porcine ovarian cells and modulate the effect of toluene

Experimental studies have documented the toxic effects of toluene on the mammalian female reproductive processes. The aim of this in vitro study was to examine the potential of functional food plant extracts, namely, of ginkgo, fennel, and flaxseed, in modifying the toluene-induced effects on ovarian hormone release. Porcine granulosa cells were incubated with ginkgo, fennel, or flaxseed extracts (0, 1, 10, or 100 µg/mL) and/or toluene (10 µg/mL). Enzyme immunoassays were used in order to measure the release of progesterone (P), oxytocin (OT), and prostaglandin F (PGF) in the culture media. Toluene suppressed the release of P and enhanced the release of OT and PGF. All tested plant extracts reduced P and increased OT release, while the PGF output was found inhibited by ginkgo and stimulated by fennel and flaxseed. When the cells were incubated with toluene and each one of the plant extracts, toluene was able to prevent their action on P release, as well as those of fennel and flaxseed on OT and PGF release. Moreover, ginkgo enhanced but fennel or flaxseed prevented the toluene-induced effects on OT and PGF release. These observations (i) document novel aspects of the toluene-induced toxicity; (ii) demonstrate the direct influence of ginkgo, fennel, and flaxseed extracts on the ovarian secretory activity; (iii) inform our understanding of the interrelationship between toluene and the tested plant extracts with regard to their effects on ovarian hormone release; (iiii) demonstrate the ability of fennel and flaxseed to prevent adverse effect of toluene on ovarian hormones.

Fetal programming: in utero exposure to acrylamide leads to intergenerational disrupted ovarian function and accelerated ovarian aging

In this study we investigated the effects of multigenerational exposures to acrylamide (ACR) on ovarian function. Fifty-day-old Wistar albino female rats were divided into the control and ACR-treated groups (2.5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/day) from day 6 of pregnancy until delivery. The obtained females of the first (AF1) and second generation (AF2) were euthanized at 4 weeks of age, and plasma and ovary samples were collected. We found that in utero multigenerational exposure to ACR reduced fertility and ovarian function in AF1 through inducing histopathological changes as evidenced by the appearance of cysts and degenerating follicles, oocyte vacuolization, and pyknosis in granulosa cells. TMR red positive cells confirmed by TUNEL assay were mostly detected in the stroma of the treated groups. Estradiol and IGF-1 concentrations significantly decreased as a result of decreased CYP19 gene and its protein expression. However, ACR exposure in AF2 led to early ovarian aging as evidenced by high estradiol and progesterone levels among all treated groups compared to control group, corresponding to the upregulation of the CYP19 gene and protein expression. The apoptotic cells of the stroma were greatly detected compared to that in the control group, whereas no significant difference was reported in ESR1 and ESR2 gene expression. This study confirms the developmental adverse effects of ACR on ovarian function and fertility in at least two consecutive generations. It emphasizes the need for more effective strategies during pregnancy, such as eating healthy foods and avoiding consumption of ACR-rich products, including fried foods and coffee.