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TESTICULAR INJURIES DUE TO SUBACUTE COMBINED EXPOSURE TO CADMIUM AND LEAD IN RATS

CARMEN SOLCAN 1, BOGDAN GABRIEL ŞLENCU 2*, LUCIA CARMEN TRINCĂ 3,4, IULIANA MOTRESCU 3,4, ADRIANA PETROVICI 1, GHEORGHE SOLCAN 5

1Department Preclinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, 8 M. Sadoveanu, 700489 Iaşi, Romania
2Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences I, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iaşi, 16 Universităţii, 700115, Romania
3Department of Exact Sciences, Faculty of Horticulture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, 3 M. Sadoveanu, 700490 Iaşi, Romania
4Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment (ICAM), 14 M. Sadoveanu, 700489 Iaşi, Romania
5Department Clinics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, 8 Aleea M. Sadoveanu, 700489 Iaşi, Romania

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Cadmium and lead are toxic heavy metals, while selenium is an essential element that exerts antioxidant effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of sodium selenite coexposure in rats with testicular injuries induced by cadmium and lead subacute exposure. A number of 48 male Wistar rats were used, randomly divided into 8 experimental groups (n = 6). The animals were exposed for 56 days to the elements through the drinking water. The groups were: Control group; Se group; Cd group; Pb group; Cd + Pb group; Cd + Se group; Pb + Se group; Cd + Pb + Se group. Testes from rats exposed to cadmium, lead or cadmium simultaneously with lead showed various types of histological damage, overexpression of p53, COX-2, Bcl2, caspase-3 and TUNEL, as well as accumulation of cadmium or lead in particular areas from testes sections, as evidenced by environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDAX). Coexposure to selenium partially alleviated histological damage and expression of the proteins involved in apoptosis. It caused a decreased accumulation of cadmium and lead and selenium accumulation in particular areas from testes sections. Exposure of rats to the toxic elements at the mentioned levels exerted significant testicular toxicity while selenium exerted moderate protective effects.