| Abstract: | Arsenic is a toxic metalloid, widespread in nature, it occurs in several valence states, of which
trivalent and pentavalent forms are important for the environment1. The higher toxicity of trivalent
arsenic compounds compared to pentavalent forms is attributed to the higher affinity for
generating reactive oxygen species2. Arsenic is deposited in the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain and
sk... Arsenic is a toxic metalloid, widespread in nature, it occurs in several valence states, of which
trivalent and pentavalent forms are important for the environment1. The higher toxicity of trivalent
arsenic compounds compared to pentavalent forms is attributed to the higher affinity for
generating reactive oxygen species2. Arsenic is deposited in the liver, kidneys, lungs, brain and
skin, and data from scientific researches indicate that arsenic is a reproductive toxicant and a
strong endocrine disruptor3. The aim of this study was to determine potentially harmful effect of
arsenic(III) oxide in drinking water on morphological integrity of ovarian tissue and follicles of
female mice. Mus musculus, strain NMRI female mices, were bred in the vivarium of the Institute
for Antirabies Protection - Pasteur Institute, Novi Sad. The mices were housed in standard cages,
with free access to water and food, the room temperature, humidity and light regime were
controlled. Mices were divided into two groups, the control group received water from the water
supply network, while the examined group drank water with dissolved concentration of 10.6 mg/l
arsenic(III) oxide for 2 months. Determination of arsenic concentration used in this experiment was
performed by converting the values of arsenic concentration from human to animal model (mice).
Histological estimations were performed on haemotoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections. No
differences were observed between control and treated sections of ovarian tissue and corpus
luteum, they had a normal appearance with no signs of hypertrophy (Figure 1. A,B). Beside the
follicles contained an intact primary oocytes, organized granulosa layer and theca layer with a
normal morphology (Figure 2.A), the results also showed an atretic follicles (Figure 2.B) which
were characterized by the presence of a degenerating oocyte, disorganized theca cells and
granulosa cell layer. It can be concluded that applied concentration of arsenic(III) oxide, did not
cause pathological changes on ovary after 2 months of exposure. |
