Small RNA sequencing analysis of sperm RNA after control, and 3 different dose treatments of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether.

This study was designed to identify molecular biomarkers in the sperm of rats treated with a known testicular toxicant. Here, we exposed rats to a model testicular toxicant, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, that negatively affects a sperm precursor cell. We waited for these cells to become sperm, and then used RNA sequencing to look at the whole population of small RNAs. Changes in these small RNAs may be used to predict testicular toxicity in clinical or pharmaceutical testing settings. These RNAs may also be associated with paternal epigenetic inheritance of disease, or toxicity. In these instances, the father may pass non-genetically based health problems to offspring through sperm, or may have unintended health effects in offspring due to the father being exposures to environmental contaminants or pharmaceutical compounds.