Impact of arsenic on mouse ovaries over three generations

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the total arsenic content deposited in the ovaries of three consecutive generations of mice. The animals were treated with two different concentrations to determine whether histological changes were caused in the ovaries. The control group of mice received tap water, whereas the experimental groups were given different concentrations of dissolved arsenic (III)-oxide. The arsenic content in the ovaries in both experimental groups increased with each generation. The highest content was recorded in the third generation of the second experimental group. Between the two experimental groups in each generation, significant differences in the average number of corpora lutea and ovarian follicles were identified. Arsenic caused structural changes in the ovaries in both experimental groups in all three consecutive generations.