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D.N. Rao Veeramachaneni,¹ Rupert P. Amann,¹ and James P. Jacobson²

¹Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; ²Arctic Rivers Guide Service, Kodiak, Alaska, USA

Abstract
It had been observed that many male Sitka black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis) on Kodiak Island, Alaska, had abnormal antlers, were cryptorchid, and presented no evidence of hypospadias. We sought to better understand the problem and investigated 171 male deer for phenotypic aberrations and 12 for detailed testicular histopathology. For the low-lying Aliulik Peninsula (AP) , 61 of 94 deer were bilateral cryptorchids (BCOs) ; 70% of these had abnormal antlers. Elsewhere on the Kodiak Archipelago, only 5 of 65 deer were BCOs. All 11 abdominal testes examined had no spermatogenesis but contained abnormalities including carcinoma in situ-like cells, possible precursors of seminoma ; Sertoli cell, Leydig cell, and stromal cell tumors ; carcinoma and adenoma of rete testis ; and microlithiasis or calcifications. Cysts also were evident within the excurrent ducts. Two of 10 scrotal testes contained similar abnormalities, although spermatogenesis was ongoing. We cannot rule out that these abnormalities are linked sequelae of a mutation(s) in a founder animal, followed by transmission over many years and causing high prevalence only on the AP. However, based on lesions observed, we hypothesize that it is more likely that this testis-antler dysgenesis resulted from continuing exposure of pregnant females to an estrogenic environmental agent(s) , thereby transforming testicular cells, affecting development of primordial antler pedicles, and blocking transabdominal descent of fetal testes. A browse (e.g., kelp) favored by deer in this locale might carry the putative estrogenic agent(s) . Key words: antler dysgenesis, CIS, cryptorchidism, Leydig cell tumor, microlithiasis, rete carcinoma, seminoma, Sertoli cell tumor. Environ Health Perspect 114(suppl 1) :51-59 (2006) . doi:10.1289/ehp.8052 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 21 October 2005]

This article is part of the monograph "The Ecological Relevance of Chemically Induced Endocrine Disruption in Wildlife."

Address correspondence to D.N. Rao Veeramachaneni, Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Campus Delivery 1683, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Telephone: (970) 491-1769. Fax: (970) 491-3557. E-mail: D_N_Rao.Veeramachaneni@colostate.edu

Supplemental Material is available online (http://www.ehponline.org/members/2005/8052/supplemental.pdf) .

We thank J. Palmer, C. Moeller, G. Sammonds, and J. Yamane for technical assistance.

The authors declare they have no competing financial interests.

Received 31 January 2005 ; accepted 13 July 2005.