Evaluation of Development of the Rat Uterus as a Toxicity Biomarker

GUERRERO-SCHIMPF, MARLISE; MILESI MM; LUQUE EH; VARAYOUD J

toxicity Assesment

Humana Press

Año: 2021; p. 1 - 1000

The developing uterus is highly sensitive to a brief exposure to different substances, in particular those withendocrine-disrupting activity. Thus, exposure to environmental, nutritional, chemical, and other xenobioticfactors affecting signaling events during critical organizational periods can alter the normal course ofuterine development with lasting consequences. In this chapter, we provide an experimental protocol toevaluate the development of the rat uterus as a toxicity biomarker at two different developmental timepoints: (1) the neonatal period, on postnatal day (PND) 8, and (2) the prepubertal period, on PND21. Inthis experimental approach, we propose to assess: (1) uterine morphology and cytodifferentiation, (2) uterinecell proliferation, and (3) the expression of proteins involved in uterine organogenetic differentiation.All these morphological and molecular markers are useful tools to determine the consequences of exposureto toxicants with the potential to disrupt the uterine development.