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Molecular & Integrative Physiology
Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology  :  Faculty  :   Brian K. Petroff, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Brian K. Petroff, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Brian K. Petroff, D.V.M., Ph.D. Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1996; D.V.M, 1998

Center for Reproductive Sciences
Go11 Lied Biomedical Research Facility
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
Phone: (913) 588-7423
Fax: (913) 588-7430
bpetroff@kumc.edu

Research Description

The majority of my research is focused upon the impact of environmental toxicants on female fertility. Dioxins are one of most worrisome classes of these toxicants and can decrease fertility by interfering with ovulation. In addition to preventing ovulation at quite low doses, dioxins exhibit chemoprotective properties for some hormone-dependent cancers. Research goals are to understand the mechanisms of dioxin action on the female reproductive system and develop novel compounds that retain the contraceptive and chemoprotective properties of dioxins while avoiding their toxicities. In addition to this reproductive toxicology and contraception research program, I collaborate with Dr. Paul Terranova to investigate the role of Src tyrosine kinase in ovarian follicular development.

research image from Petroff lab research image from Petroff lab

Figure 1. Midsaggital sections (40X magnification)of rat ovaries harvested from intact control and TCDD-treated animals and stained for the alpha subunit of inhibin or with normal rabbit serum (Negative) and counterstained with hemotoxylin. Brown staining reflects immunoreactivity for inhibin. Granulosa layers in antral follicles from control rats sacrificed at 24 hours post-vehicle stain strongly for inhibin while staining of these cells is noticeably reduced in follicles from corresponding TCDD-treated rats.

research image from Petroff lab
Figure 2. Lifetime estrous cyclicity in control and TCDD-treated rats. See figure 2 for explanation of estrous cyclicity depiction. Each line represents a single rat and data points at the lower, middle and top level indicate diestrous, proestrous and estrous smears, respectively TCDD significantly accelerated the onset of abnormal or absent cyclicity with age. Vaginal cytology was monitored from the day of vaginal opening (onset of puberty) to 1 year of age. Control 4 was removed following unrelated illness.

Representative publications

Petroff, B.K., Gao, X., Ohshima, K., Shi, F., Son, D., Roby, K.F., Rozman, K.K., Watanabe, G., Taya, K., Terranova, P.F. Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on serum inhibin concentrations and inhibin immunostaining during follicular development in female Sprague-Dawley rats, Reprod Toxicol, 16:97-105, 2002.

Petroff, B.K., Roby, K.F., Gao, X., Son, D.S., Williams, S., Johnson, D., Rozman, K.K., Terranova, P.F. A review of mechanisms controlling ovulation with implications for the anovulatory effects of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins in rodents, Toxicology, 148: 91-107, 2001.

Petroff, B.K., Gao, X., Rozman, K.K., Terranova, P.F. The effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on weight gain and hepatic ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) induction vary with ovarian hormonal status in an immature gonadotropin-primed rat model, Reprod Toxicol, 15:269-274, 2001.

Gao, X., Petroff, B.K., Rozman, K.K., Terranova, P.F. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) reverses the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in the ovary of immature Sprague-Dawley rats, Toxicology, 147: 15-22, 2001.

Petroff, B.K., Gao, X., Rozman, K.K., Terranova, P.F. Interaction of estradiol and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in an ovulation model: evidence for systemic potentiation and local ovarian effects, Reprod Toxicol, 14: 247-255, 2000.