Parabens are class of preservatives used in vast majority of commercial products, and a potential Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC). The present study was undertaken to delineate the effects of n-butylparaben on F1 male progeny exposed maternally through gestation and lactation via subcutaneous route. The F0 dams were given subcutaneous injections of n-butylparaben from gestation day (GD) 6 to postnatal day (PND) 21 with doses of 10, 100, 1000 mg/kg Bw/day in corn oil. The F1 male rats were monitored for pubertal development and sexual maturation; these were sacrificed on PND 30, 45 and 75. On PND 75, these F1 male rats were subjected for fertility assessment with unexposed female rats.A delayed testicular descent at 100 and 1000 mg/kg Bw dose and delayed preputial separation at 10 mg/kg Bw dose was observed in exposed F1 male rats. Decreased sperm count, motility and Daily Sperm Production was observed at 100 mg/kg Bw dose at PND 75. Interestingly, the sperm transit time in the epididymis was accelerated at this dose. Significant perturbed testicular expression of steroid receptors (ERα and β, AR), INSL3 and StAR genes with increased T and LH levels indicates direct effect on spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. These F1 generation adult rats were sub-fertile with increased (%) pre- and post-implantation loss at 100 and 1000 mg/kg Bw/day dose. This is the first report on n-butylparaben highlighting the involvement of testicular leydig cells with accelerated sperm transit time leading to reduced fertility in the maternally exposed F1 male rats through estrogenic/anti-androgenic action.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer used for polycarbonate manufacture, has been widely reported as an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC). Among other alterations, BPA induces reproductive dysfunctionalities. Changes in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) have been recently shown to be associated with reproductive disorders. The ECS is a lipid-based signaling system (cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids and enzymatic machinery) involved in several physiological functions. The main goal of the present study was to assess the effects of two environmental concentrations of BPA (10 and 20 μg/L) on the ECS in 1-year old zebrafish gonads. In males, BPA increased the gonadosomatic index (GSI) and altered testicular levels of endocannabinoids as well as reduced the testicular area occupied by spermatogonia. In male liver, exposure to 20 μg/L BPA significantly increased vitellogenin (vtg) transcript levels. In female zebrafish, BPA altered ovarian endocannabinoid levels, elevated hepatic vtg mRNA levels as well as increased the percentage of vitellogenic oocytes in the ovaries. In conclusion, exposure to two environmentally relevant concentrations of BPA altered the ECS and consequently, gonadal function in both male and female zebrafish.