Tributyltin (TBT) is a common environmental contaminant used as the active ingredient in many products such as a
biocides, wood preservatives, disinfecting agents, and antifouling paints. The TBT is a known
endocrine disruptor. The aim of the current investigation was to determine the toxicity of TBT in the reproductive tract of adult male Syrian hamsters and to ascertain whether this compound results in untoward effects on
apolipoprotein E (
ApoE), a
lipoprotein central to
sex hormone synthesis. The TBT was administered orally to male Syrian hamsters at doses of 50, 100, and 150 ppm/kg for 65 days of treatment. We determined
body weight, testis weight, sperm count, sperm morphology, testis histology,
ApoE expression, serum
lipid profile,
testosterone level,
follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and
steroid hormone receptor expression compared to vehicle-treated controls. High doses of TBT significantly affected each of these parameters in Syrian hamsters. Weight and morphology of the testis were altered as well as sperm production. Real-time
reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that expression of
ApoE messenger RNA was upregulated in testes from TBT-treated groups compared with controls while the expression of
androgen receptor, FSHR,
estrogen receptor α (ESR1), and
estrogen receptor β (ESR2) was decreased. We posit that exposure to TBT hinders intracellular
cholesterol transport resulting in abnormal sex
steroid biosynthesis and subsequent spermatogenic defects. Importantly, these effects may account for the decreased level of normal sperm observed in hamsters exposed to TBT.