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Structural and functional effects of early exposure to 4-nonylphenol on gonadal development of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): b-histological alterations in testes

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Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of different doses (0, 40, 60, 100 μg/L) of 4-nonylphenol (NP) on testis histology and sperms motility of mature Oreochromis niloticus. A tendency for a dose-dependent reduction in the gonado-somatic index (GSI) in the NP-exposed groups was observed. Histological examination revealed that high doses of NP (60 and 100 μg/L) cause hyperplasia of interlobular connective tissue components coincide with decrease in the size of seminiferous lobules and amount of lumen spermatozoa in comparison with the control and low-dose (40 μg/L)-exposed groups. In addition, within the seminiferous lobules, rupture of spermatogenic cysts, vacuolation and necrosis of primary spermatocytes due to damage of sertoli cells were clearly observed and lead to decrease in advanced spermatogenic cells. The highest dose caused significant decrease in the GSI associated with appearance of testis–ova (intersex) state. The percentage of abnormal sperms increased with increasing the dose of NP reaching to 96 % for those subjected to 100 μg NP/L, while it was only 11 % for the control group specimens. The study indicates that NP has estrogenic potency induced marked alteration in the sexual development including inhibition in testicular growth and deformation in the sperms.

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Author notes

  1. T. El-Sayed Ali

    Present address: College of Sciences and Humanity Studies, Salman bin Abdul-Aziz University, P. O. Box 83, Alkharj, 11942, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oceanography Department, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    T. El-Sayed Ali, S. H. Abdel-Aziz, A.-F. M. El-Sayed & S. Zeid

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  1. T. El-Sayed Ali
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  2. S. H. Abdel-Aziz
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  3. A.-F. M. El-Sayed
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  4. S. Zeid
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Correspondence to T. El-Sayed Ali.

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El-Sayed Ali, T., Abdel-Aziz, S.H., El-Sayed, AF.M. et al. Structural and functional effects of early exposure to 4-nonylphenol on gonadal development of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): b-histological alterations in testes. Fish Physiol Biochem 40, 1495–1507 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-014-9944-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-014-9944-5

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