The effect of concurrent administration of cadmium and arsenic through the food chain on some testicular toxicity indicators of rats

Abstract

This study examined the effect of concurrent administration of cadmium and arsenic through the food chain on testicular antioxidant status, protein concentration and expression of mRNA of Bax and Bcl-2 genes in rats. Catfish were exposed to both metals at a concentration of 0.4 mg/metal/100mL for 1 month served as source of protein for the experimental diet which rats were exposed for 1 and 3 months. The metal burden on the feed and testes, activities of antioxidant enzymes, mRNA expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the testes of rats were then determined using standard procedures. From the results, the activities of the antioxidants enzymes and reduced glutathione (GSH) were significantly (p<0.05) decreased after 3 months. Testes total protein and MDA levels were significantly (p< 0.05) increased after both periods of exposure. Increase in the level of mRNA expression of Bax gene and a decrease in Bcl-2 gene in the test groups compared to the control after 3 months of exposure were recorded in rats. In conclusion, these results showed that exposure to these metals through the food chain increased oxidative damage leading to alteration in the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio which could have significant consequences in the induction of apoptosis and other associated biochemical cascade.