Effects of 3-Methyl-4-nitrophenol on the Reproductive Toxicity in Female Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)

• Published in: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2008/11/01, Vol.31(11), pp.2158-2161
• Main Authors: Li, ChunMei, Suzuki, Akira K., Takahashi, Shinji, Taneda, Shinji, Watanabe, Gen, Taya, Kazuyoshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol; Animals; Body Weight - drug effects; Coturnix - blood; Coturnix - growth & development; Coturnix japonica; Cresols - toxicity; diesel exhaust particle; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endocrine Disruptors - toxicity; Estradiol - blood; Female; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; mature Japanese quail; Organ Size - drug effects; Progesterone - blood; Reproduction - drug effects; reproductive toxicity; Toxicity Tests, Chronic
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.31.2158

We previously showed that 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (4-nitro-m-cresol, PNMC), a component of diesel exhaust particles and a degradation product of the insecticide fenitrothion, has reproductive toxicity in adult male and immature female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Here we investigated effects of PNMC on the reproductive toxicity of mature female Japanese quail. The experiment consists of 3 periods of pretreatment, treatment, and post-treatment for 5 d each. The birds were reared, bred naturally for 1 week, and after 5 d of pretreatment, then injected intramuscularly with PNMC at doses 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg body weight daily for 5 d. Body weight, egg weight, and hatchability did not differ among the observation periods. However, at all doses of PNMC, the egg-laying rate showed a modest decrease during the treatment period, with recovery during the post-treatment period. Plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estrodiol-17β, were significantly decreased (p