Cyclophosphamide modulates gene expression in neonatal rat testis following antenatal exposure to fetuses during testicular differentiation

The present study was designed to evaluate the altered gene expression in n eonatal rat testis after antenatal exposure of cyclophosphamide (one time s ingle dose of either 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight) to the developing fetu ses, especially at the time of male sex differentiation. The rationale behi nd these experiments is to know about the involvement of Y-chromosome gene- dependent product(s) associated with gonadal dysfunction. Using SDS-polyacr ylamide gel electrophoresis and photosensitive silver staining technique, t he study shows that the variety of proteins of different molecular weight r anges 40,000 to 127,000 Da are modulated by cyclophosphamide exposure to th e developing testis. Interestingly, the overexpression of one protein of 74 ,500 Da was observed both in supernatant as well as in pallet fractions. Th e qualitative and quantitative regulation of newly synthesized protein appe arance or disappearance is observed in a dose-dependent manner.