An assessment of the (anti)androgenic properties of hexachloronaphthalene (HxCN) using a model of immature male rats (Hershberger Bioassay)

The persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs); of these, the most toxic, abundant and found in human tissues are the hexachloronaphthalenes (HxCNs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the (anti)androgenic action of HxCN using the Hershberger Bioassay (OECD 441). Castrated male Wistar rats were exposed per os to HxCN at daily doses ranging from 0.3-3.0 mg*kg b.w.-1 for 10 days. Testosterone propionate (TP) was used as the reference androgen, and flutamide (FLU) as the reference antiandrogen. Five assessor sex tissues (ASTs) were weighed: ventral prostate, seminal vesicles, levator ani-bulbocavernosus muscle (LABC), glans penis and Cowper gland. In addition to determining the absolute weight of the ASTs, a number of other tests were performed on serum hormone levels (testosterone [T], triiodothyronine 99 [T3], thyroxine [T4], LH and FSH) and the histopathology of the ASTs.