Transcriptome analysis of fetal rat testis following intrauterine exposure to the azole fungicides triticonazole and flusilazole reveals subtle changes despite adverse endocrine effects

Azoles are used in agriculture and medicine to combat fungal infections. We have previously examined the endocrine disrupting properties of agricultural azole fungicides triticonazole flusilazole. Triticonazole displayed strong androgen receptor (AR) antagonism vitro, whereas utero exposure resulted anti-androgenic effects vivo evidenced by shorter anogenital distance (AGD) fetal male rats. Flusilazole AR antagonism, but less potent than triticonazole, disrupted steroidogenesis plasma hormone levels. To elaborate on how these can disrupt reproductive development different mechanisms, investigate whether feminization such as short AGD males also be detected at transcript level testes, we profiled testis transcriptomes after flusilazole 3?Digital Gene Expression (3?DGE). The analysis revealed few transcriptional changes either compound gestation day 17 21. This suggests that observed influence production may directly targeting steroidogenic enzyme activity protein level, observations primarily due disturbed signaling androgen-sensitive tissues. Calb2 Gsta2 was altered not pinpoint novel pathways testicular steroid synthesis. Our findings wider implication for integrate omics data chemical testing frameworks, including selection non-animal test methods building Adverse Outcome Pathways regulatory purposes.