Sodium Arsenic Alters the Gene Expression of some Steroidogenic Genes in TM3 Leydig Cell

Abstract

Arsenic is a broad-spectrum environmental contaminant with mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogeniceffects. Due to its widespread distribution in nature, drinking water is the most common source of arsenicexposure for the general population. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of sodium arsenite onthe viability and expression profile of steroidogenic genes in TM3 Leydig cells, responsible for testicularsteroidogenesis. The TM3 Leydig cells were treated with sodium arsenic (384,8 µM or 7,6 mM) for 24hours with LH (Luteinizing hormone) stimulation. The MTT assay was used for measuring cell viability,the expression level of key genes of the steroidogenesis was evaluated using RT-qPCR.The MTT assayshowed that cell viability was decreased dose-dependently. RT-qPCR demonstrated that the expressionlevel of CYP11A1, CYP17A1 were decreased as compared to the untreated control while StAR geneexpression was found to be surprisingly high in the cell exposed to high-dose arsenic (p