Volume 136, Issue 2, December 2013

Editor’s Highlight: Over the past several decades, there has been an increase in male infertility, and there is evidence that this may be due to exposure to environmental contaminants. The blood testis barrier represents a key line of defense for the delicate processes of spermatogenesis and steroid production. The barrier contains several transporters that regulate the movement of chemicals. In this paper, the authors report that the ATP-binding cassette transporters, including those that are responsible for transporting testosterone precursors (P-glycoprotein), may be a target of suspected endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as tetrabromobisphenol A. These findings suggest that evaluation of endocrine disrupting chemicals should consider effects on the blood testis barrier transporters. —Gary Miller