title: Cadmium effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in male rats.
abstract: This study analyzes cadmium effects at the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. Male rats were given cadmium during puberty or adulthood. Cadmium exposure through puberty increased norepinephrine content in all hypothalamic areas studied, but not in the median eminence. Metal exposure increased serotonin turnover in median eminence and the anterior hypothalamus, while decreased it in mediobasal hypothalamus. Also, decreased plasma levels of testosterone were found. Cadmium exposure during adulthood increased norepinephrine content in posterior hypothalamus and decreased the neuro-transmitter content in anterior and mediobasal hypothalamus. Decreased circulating levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone and increased plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were also observed. Cadmium accumulated in all analyzed tissues. Various parameters showed age-dependent changes. These data suggest that cadmium globally effects hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis function by acting at the three levels analyzed and that an interaction between cadmium exposure and age emerge.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, Campus de Orense, Las Lagunas, 32004-Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lafuente
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-Lorenzo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pazo
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Esquifino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D012701:Serotonin; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D009638:Norepinephrine