Evaluation of Estrogenic Activity of Cadmium to Mice in Organic and Molecular Level

Cadmium, as an inorganic pollutant, its toxic effects on mammals were widely studied, while less attention was paid on its endocrine disrupting effects. In this paper, the effects of CdCl2 on mice uterine-ovary wet weight, modulation of ER (estrogen receptors) mRNA level and their relation were studied. It showed that uterus-ovary wet weight, the expression of ER alpha (alpha subtype) and ER beta (beta subtype) were of significant difference in 930 mu g/kg.bw CdCl2 dosing group compared with the control. However, only up-regulation of ER beta. was detected in 9.3 mu g/kg.bw CdCl2 dosing group. It suggested that the high expression of ER beta might protect mice from increasing of uterus-ovary wet weight. For CdCl2 estrogenic activity, the ER expression mechanism and ER-responsive elements pathway need further examination.