Paracetamol, aspirin, and indomethacin induce endocrine disturbances in the human fetal testis capable of interfering with testicular descent.

TLDR: It is suggested that the fetal human testis displays slight critical age windows for sensitivity to direct exposure to aspirin, indomethacin, and paracetamol, and analgesics at concentrations relevant to human exposure cause endocrine disturbances in the fetal testis.

Abstract: Context: Masculinization depends on the fetal testis. Exposure of the human fetus during pregnancy to paracetamol and/or to other mild analgesics is associated with an increased risk of cryptorchidism. Objective: We aimed to determine whether mild analgesics disrupted the morphology and endocrine function of the human testis. Design: We used an in vitro system based on the culture of human fetal testes exposed or not to paracetamol, its metabolite N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-arachidonoylethanolamide (AM404), aspirin, indomethacin, and ketoconazole at 10−4 to 10−7 M. Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Rennes I. Patients/Participants: Human fetal testes were from pregnant women after induced abortion, between 7 and 12 weeks of gestation (GW). Main Outcome Measures: Testosterone (RIA), anti-Mullerian hormone (ELISA), insulin-like factor 3 (RIA), and prostaglandin (PG) D2 and PGE2 (ELISA) were assayed in the medium. Testicular cells were counted using histology and image analysis. The possible nucl...