Abstract: BACKGROUND ＆ AIM: To identify genes involved in cadmium-induced testicular toxicity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used cDNA microarray and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR) technique to analyze the genes expression of testes in rats treated with low cadmium(4 μmol/kg). RESULTS: Our studies for the first time demonstrated that expression of T-kininogen, calmegin, UDP-glucuronyl transferase，heme oxygenase and mismatch repair protein gene were associated with cadmium toxicity. However, as the organelles that produced energy, mitochondrion was not affected in the respiratory chain at low dose cadmium. In addition, vitamin C at the concentration of 400 mg/kg obviously attenuated cadmium-induced toxicity in testes of rats. CONCLUSION: The cadmium-reduced toxicity carcinogenic effects involved energy metabolism, defense mechanisms and DNA repair of the cell. Vitamin C might play essential roles in protecting testes of rats exposed to cadmium.

Key words: rat toxicology arrays, real-time PCR, mitochondrion, vitamin C