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Structure-Activity Requirements for the Induction of Testicular Atrophy by Butyl Phthalates in Immature Rats: Effect on Testicular Zinc Content

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Biological Reactive Intermediates—II

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 136))

Summary

Young male rats were treated with mono-n, iso-,sec-and tert-butyl o-phthalates by oral intubation for 4 days at 800 mg/kg/day. All of the animals except those treated with the mono-tert-ester developed marked testicular atrophy. Additionally, only those isomers which produced testicular damage altered zinc metabolism by increasing urinary zinc excretion and depleting the concentration of this element in the testis. In similar experiments using equimolar doses of the di-n-butyl esters of ortho-,iso-and tere-phthalic acids (1,2:1,3 and 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acids), only the ortho ester produced testicular atrophy and at the same time affected adversel zinc metabolism. Thus, in order to produce testicular atrophy, the ester moiety must be in the ortho position and of specific chain length: only those esters producing damage to the testis also significantly decreased testicular zinc content.

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© 1982 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Foster, P.M.D., Lake, B.G., Cook, M.W., Thomas, L.V., Gangolli, S.D. (1982). Structure-Activity Requirements for the Induction of Testicular Atrophy by Butyl Phthalates in Immature Rats: Effect on Testicular Zinc Content. In: Snyder, R., et al. Biological Reactive Intermediates—II. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 136. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0674-1_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0674-1_33

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0674-1

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