Lead-, Cadmium-, and Arsenic-Induced DNA Damage in Rat Germinal Cells

Toxic agents can interfere with the male reproductive system at many targets. One of the major unresolved questions concerning male infertility is identification of its molecular origins. Clinical and animal studies indicate that abnormalities of spermatogenesis result from exposure to three toxic metals (lead acetate, cadmium chloride, and arsenic trioxide), but the effects on primary spermatocyte DNA of the male rat after chronic exposure to these metals have not been identified. The aims of this study were to analyze, in three independent experiments, the DNA damage induced by lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) in rat germinal cells during three time periods, and to determine the relationship between DNA damage and blood Pb, blood Cd, and urine As levels. For lead acetate and cadmium chloride experiments, blood was collected by cardiac puncture, while for arsenic trioxide a 24-h urine sample was collected. Afterward, the animals were sacrificed by decapitation. Pachytene spermatocytes from rat t...