Effect of Arsenic Exposure on the Embryo and Offsprings Development in Mice# Bharat Patel, Rajat S Das*, A.K. Gautam, Y Verma, Mugdha Tiwari, Shukhdev A*, Sunil Kumar Division of Reproductive toxicology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad-380016, Gujarat, India  * Agartala Government Medical College, Agartala-799006, Tripura, India Total number of pups delivered; Mean litter size & fecundity BACKGROUND Body gain/loss (%) in female mice during gestation MATERIALS & METHODS Groups (n=12 in each group) Dose of Sodium meta Arsenite (NaAsO2) Vehicle control 0 ppm-DDW 10 ppm 10 ppm (133 M) 17.3 mg/L 20 ppm 20 ppm (267 M) 35 mg/L 75 ppm 75 ppm (1.0 mM) 130 mg/L 150 ppm 150 ppm (2.0 mM) 260 mg/L Body gain/loss (%) in female mice before mating during arsenic treatment for three month Animal procurement Female mice randomly divided into five groups Treated with As through drinking water for three month Kept for mating 1 Male with 2 females Delivery of pups/ Observation of developmental parameters/On GD 12.5 & 14.5, Blood, Placenta & embryo collected Sodium meta arsenite (NaAsO2) EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN RESULTS Arsenic is a naturally occurring element, widely distributed in the earth‘s crust & found naturally in environment. The human exposed to arsenic by eating contaminated food, drinking water, breathing air etc. The contaminated drinking water is a major health problems in eastern part of the country & it has also reported some parts of North eastern region also. Long duration arsenic exposure results in various health effects such as skin problems, cancers of skin, bladder, kidney, lung & diseases of blood vessels of legs & feet and possibly diabetes, high blood pressure & reproductive disorders. Thus arsenic has become focus of intense research. Some Human & animal studies indicate that arsenic exposure during pregnancy can affect several reproductive endpoints . Owing to these, a study was initiated to understand the magnitude of problem of arsenic contaminated water for pregnant woman by evaluating the possible ill effects on the offspring’s & mechanisms of deleterious effect of arsenic exposure on pregnancy outcome in rodent model. In this study, toxic effect of arsenic exposure before & during pregnancy were investigated on the offsprings development, & placental tissues of mice. Effect of arsenic exposure on Developmental parameters (days) Effect of arsenic exposure on pups body wt. (gm) Total & live embryo & resorptions site in arsenic treated and non treated animals on GD 12.5 OBJECTIVE Total and live embryo & resorptions site in arsenic treated & non treated animals on GD 14.5 To study the effects of before, during in utero exposure of arsenic on the development of the offspring’s To study the effects of before and during in utero arsenic exposure on embryo development and placental tissues of mice DNA damage in dam’s blood lymphocyte of arsenic treated and non-treated animals Gestation length & % of successful pregnancies among arsenic treated & control group Wt. of entire embryo and placenta at GD 12.5 & 14.5 in arsenic treated & non treated Pups Mortality rate in arsenic treated & non-treated groups A C D Fig (A) Control uterine embryo growth (B) Resorptions site in 150 ppm dose (C) One sided uterine growth in 75 ppm arsenic treated mice (D) Normal vs. dead embryos morphology SUMMARY Blood lymphocytes comet data of pregnant (GD 12.5 & 14.5) treated with arsenic & non-treated mice The results indicate that body weight of mice significantly affected in 75 & 150 ppm arsenic treated groups. During pregnancy significantly lower body weight observed in both the higher doses 75 & 150 ppm groups. Lower gestational length, successful pregnancy, mean litter size, birth rate and fecundity rate was observed in arsenic treated groups. Pups mortality rate was higher and developmental parameters were marginally delayed in higher arsenic treated groups. The pups body weight significantly lower in 75 (0.5, 7, 14 & 21 day) & 150 ppm (0.5, 14 & 21 day) treated groups as compared to control. Total number of embryo & live embryo was lower & number of resorptions site higher in 75 & 150 ppm arsenic groups. The weight of entire embryo and placenta was also lower in 20, 75 & 150 ppm of arsenic groups. Head DNA percentage was significantly lower in (75 & 150 ppm) as compared to control. While tail DNA percentage significantly higher in 75 and 150 ppm arsenic groups as compared to lower arsenic doses & control group *** Mean ± SE; *p<0.05 **p<0.01, ***p< 0.001 compared to respective control # Financial support from DBT in the form of research grant under NE programme to RSD & SK is thankfully acknowledged