Effect of nonylphenol on fetal development and on the liver of pregnant rats and their fetuses.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate nonylphenol (NP) effect on developmental outcomes and on livers of pregnant rats and their fetuses. Four groups of female rats were exposed by gavage to; NP at levels of 150 and 300mg/kg b.wt, corn oil and control groups daily from 8th to 19th day of gestation. The data indicated that, post implantation loss and incidence of external and skeletal fetal abnormalities was not changed in groups treated with NP, only a significant decrease in fetal body weight and skeletal development was observed in the higher dose of NP compared to the controls. Rats exposed to the higher dose of NP showed significant increasing values of relative liver weight, binucleated hepatocytes and more frequent Bcl-2 expression. Moreover, liver tissue of rats treated with the higher dose of NP exhibits signs of necrosis and vacuolar degeneration, concomitant with significant reduction of serum total protein and elevation of serum ALT and AST activities versus controls. Liver tissue of fetuses was less affected than liver of mothers. In conclusion, NP caused limited toxic effect on fetal development, while exerted hepatotoxic effect via increased cell proliferation and overexpressing of Bcl-2 oncoprotein.