Effect of Cadmium on Rat Leydig Cell Testosterone Production and DNA Integrity in vitro

Key words: 
• in vitro /
• reproductive endocrine /
• reproductive toxicity /
• natural environment /
• Toxic Substances /
• gene expression /
• Leydig cells /
• heavy metal

Abstract: 

Cadmium (Cd) is an elemental heavy metal with widely recognized toxicity.Its long-term use in industrial processes and daily activities has caused alarming levels of Cd contamination in the natural environment.According to the estimates by the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in the US,25 000 to 30 000 metric tons of Cd is annually released to the environment[1].Results of previous studies have demonstrated that several organs are targets of Cd,but the most important of these targeted organs may be the testes.Cadmium can cause the apoptosis of testis cells and modify the expression of carcinogenesis-related genes to cause cancer in the testes[2],interfere with the male reproductive endocrine functions[3],or even alter gene expression at non-toxic doses[4].To date,the mechanism underlying the reproductive toxicity caused by Cd in male animals remains unclear.Here,the effect of Cd on primary cultures of Leydig cells was investigated in vitro.