EBM Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Free
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lafuente, A.
Right arrow Articles by Esquifino, A. I.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Lafuente, A.
Right arrow Articles by Esquifino, A. I.
Experimental Biology and Medicine 226:605-611 (2001)
© 2001 Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

Original Article

Cadmium Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis in Male Rats

Anunciación Lafuente*, Nuria Márquez*, María Pérez-Lorenzo*, David Pazo{dagger} and Ana I. Esquifino{dagger},1

* Laboratorio de Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Vigo, Campus de Orense, Las Lagunas, 32004-Ourense, Spain;
{dagger} Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, 28040-Madrid,Spain

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 neurotransmitter 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.

Key Words: cadmium • LH • FSH • testosterone • norepinephrine • serotonin turnover






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2001 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.