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. 2016 May 13;152(2):372–381. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfw083

FIG. 2.

FIG. 2

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) exposure activates caspases-3 and -9, and increases germ cell expression of BAX protein in fetal ovaries. Germ cell apoptosis was assessed by cleaved caspase-3, -9, and BAX immunostaining in 13.5 dpc ovaries cultured for 0, 6, or 24 with 0, 50, 500, or 1000 ng/ml, respectively, BaP in 0.005% DMSO. A, Mean ± SEM percentage of cleaved caspase-3 positive germ cells at 6 and 24 h (*P = .007 effect of concentration by linear regression, **P = .018 vs control). B–C, Representative images of cleaved caspase-3 immunostaining in fetal ovaries at 24 h. D, Mean ± SEM percentage of cleaved caspase-9 positive germ cells at 6 and 24 h (*P = .007 effect of concentration by linear regression, **P < .05 vs control and 50 ng/ml BaP). E and F, Representative images of cleaved caspase-9 immunostaining in fetal ovaries at 24 h. G, Mean ± SEM percentage of BAX-positive germ cells at 6 and 24h (*P = .036 effect of concentration by linear regression, **P = .024 vs control). H and I, Representative images of fetal ovaries identified by BAX immunostaining at 6 h. Arrows point to caspase-positive germ cells (C and F) or BAX-positive germ cells (I). n = 3–4/group. Scale bars, 15 µm. UC, uncultured (0 h).