Neonatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenze-p-dioxin increases the mRNA expression of prostatic proteins in C57BL mice.

The effects of neonatal exposure to low doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on prostatic secretory protein expression were investigated. Male C57BL mice were treated with TCDD at 10, 100, or 1,000 ng/kg body weight at postnatal day (PND) 6. At PND42, the ventral, dorsolateral, and anterior prostatic lobes were dissected and the mRNA expression of prostatic proteins including spermine-binding protein, serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 3, prostate secretory protein 94 (PSP94), immunoglobulin binding protein-like protein (IgGBPLP), experimental autoimmune prostatitis antigen proteins, and peroxiredoxin-6 (Prdx6) was measured by quantitative PCR. There was no significant difference in the weight of the prostatic lobes between the control and TCDD-treated groups. The expression of PSP94 and Prdx6 in the ventral prostate and IgGBPLP in the dorsolateral prostate at PND42 was significantly increased by neonatal TCDD treatment in a dose-dependent manner, while no changes were noted in other prostatic secretions. These data suggest that neonatal exposure to TCDD may have effects on the neonatal differentiation of the prostate and results in the hyper-expression of some prostatic proteins later in life.