145. Exposure to Inorganic Arsenic during Pregnancy: Effects on the Reproductive Axis and Fertility

BOURGUIGNON N; BIZZOZZERO MARIANNE; LUX LANTOS V; LIBERTUN C

Congreso; ICE/ENDO 2014; 2014

Exposure to Inorganic Arsenite during pregnancy alters body weight and serum estradiol and testosterone in rats. Bourguignon N1, Bizzozzero M1, Lux-Lantos V1, Libertun C1, 2 1 IBYME-CONICET, V de Obligado 2490. Buenos Aires. 2Dep. Physiology. Fac. Medicine, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Argentina. nsbourguignon@yahoo.com.ar Inorganic arsenic (A) is a soil and ground water contaminant with worldwide distribution. It is highly toxic and a proved carcinogenic in humans. It has also been described as an endocrine disruptor impacting the reproductive axis. In this study we evaluated the effects of A exposure in drinking water in pregnant rats on the body (BW) and ovarian weights (OW), pituitary and steroids hormones. Young, previously virgin, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with sodium arsenite in drinking water: 5 (A5) or 50 (A50) ppm in distilled water or distilled water as control (C), from gestation day 1 (GD1, determined by the presence of vaginal sperm plug) to sacrifice (GD18). Standard chow was given ad libitum. Studies were performed according to protocols for animal use approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which follow NIH guidelines. On GD18, BW of dams were recorded and sacrificed by quick decapitation. Truncal blood was collected for hormone determinations (LH, FSH, PRL, T, E2 and P4 by RIA). The ovaries were dissected, weighted and the numbers of corpora lutea (CLs) were counted. Resorprtion and implantation sites were identified. Results are expressed as means ± S.E.M (n). Differences between means were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. P