A brief exposure to cadmium impairs Leydig cell regeneration in the adult rat testis.

Cadmium is an endocrine disruptor, impairing male reproduction. The objective of this study is to investigate whether cadmium affects rat Leydig cell regeneration and to dissect the underlying mechanism. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received a single intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of 0, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg of cadmium chloride, followed by ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS) treatment to eliminate adult Leydig cells 20 days later. Compared to control (0 dose), cadmium treatment reduced serum testosterone levels by days 21, 35, and 56 after EDS treatment. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were also affected by day 56, the only time point examined. There were fewer regenerated Leydig cells in the cadmium-treated testis on days 35 and 56 after EDS treatment. Further studies demonstrated that the mRNA or protein levels of Leydig (Lhcgr, Scarb1, Star, Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, Cyp17a1, Hsd17b3, and Hsd11b1), non-Leydig (Fshr and Dhh), and gonadotroph (Lhb) cells were also significantly lower in cadmium-treated animals. Since LH and desert hedgehog (DHH) are critical factors for Leydig cell differentiation, our result demonstrated that the lower doses of cadmium exposure, even briefly, may permanently damage Leydig cell regeneration.