Efectos de exposición aguda a cadmio en la acción de estrógenos en útero de rata impúber

Abstract

Few information is available about uterine effects of Cadmium (Cd) exposure, where toxicagents affecting the female genital tract interact with estrogen (E) receptors, modifiying myometrial activityand the menstrual cycle, causing dysmenorrhea, infertility and spontaneous abortion. No informationexists whether prenatal or early postnatal exposure may cause any gynecologic persistent adverse effect.Our finding of a second mechanism of E interaction and differences between E receptors in the variousuterine cell types suggests that Cd may affect differently E interaction in each cell-type. Objective:Evaluate a possible selective effect of acute Cd exposure on E action in the uterus during prepuber age.Method: Female prepuber rats exposed to Cd 4 mg/kg and 2 hours later, treated with Estradiol-17² 0,3 mg/kg.A myometrial sample was obtained under anesthesia 24 hours after E treatment and histologically processedfor the quantification of E responses on different uterine cell-types. Results: Cd exposure potentiates E-induced uterine eosinophilia and endometrial edema and inhibits E-induced cell hypertrophy in circularmyometrium and cell proliferation in luminal myometrium. Cd, in the absence of hormone stimulation,causes a slight cell hypertrophy in circular myometrium. Conclusions: Acute exposure to Cd affectsdifferently various responses to E in the different uterine cell-types. Future studies should verify whetherthis effect explains Cd-induced infertility, postpubertal sex organ development and whether prenatal orearly postnatal exposure to Cd induces delayed persistent effects.