Effect of treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on superoxide dismutase activity.

<p>Values of superoxide dismutase activity on testis (A), epididymis (B), prostate (C) and vas deferens (D). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 6). ** <i>p</i><0.01, *<i>p</i><0.05 (Student's t-test).</p

Phenylephrine concentration-response curves after endothelium removal (A, B) or N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester incubation (L-NAME, 100 µM) (D, E) in the aortic rings of control and cadmium-exposed rats.

<p>E-: endothelium-denuded, E+: intact segments. Differences in the area under the concentration-response curves (dAUC) in endothelium–denuded and intact segments (C) and in the presence and absence of L-NAME (F). * and+P<0.05, Student’s t-test. The number of animals used is indicated in parentheses.</p

Densitometric analysis of western blot for eNOS protein expression (A) and NO production (B) in aortic rings incubated with DAF (2 mmol·L

<p>^−<b>1</b><b>).</b> Representative blots are also shown. *P<0.05, by Student’s t-test.</p

Phenylephrine concentration-response curves in the aortic rings of control (A) and cadmium-exposed (B) rats after apocynin incubation.

<p>Differences in the area under the concentration-response curve (dAUC) in the aortic rings of control and cadmium-treated rats after apocynin incubation (C). Densitometric analysis of the western blot to measure the gp^91phox protein expression in aortic rings (D). Representative blots are also shown. *P<0.05, Student’s t-test. The number of animals used is indicated in parentheses.</p

Effect of treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on serum hormonal levels.

<p>(A) Luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels (B). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM (n = 10). *<i>p</i><0.05 (Student's t-test).</p

Effect of a chronic treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on body weight (g), absolute (g or mg) and relative (g/100 g or mg/100 g) weights of reproductive organs of male rats.

<p>Data are expressed as means ± SEM. The relative organ weight was calculated by use of the formula: organ weight/body weight ×100. Units: g: gram, mg: milligram.</p><p>Effect of a chronic treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on body weight (g), absolute (g or mg) and relative (g/100 g or mg/100 g) weights of reproductive organs of male rats.</p

The effects of cadmium exposure on systolic blood pressure in rats.

<p>*P<0.05 vs matched exposure day of control group.^#P<0.05 vs first day of exposure of Cd-exposure group, determined using two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s post-test. The number of animals used is indicated in parentheses.</p

Sensitivity (pD2) and maximal responses (Emax) to phenylephrine, acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside in aortic rings from cadmium-treated and control rats.

<p>The results are expressed as the mean ± SEM; Emax, maximal effect expressed as a percentage of the response induced by 75 mM KCl; pD2, -log one-half Emax. *P<0.05, Student’s t-test.</p

Effect of a chronic treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on sperm morphology of rats.

<p>Data are in percentage and expressed as median (Q₁–Q₃). **<i>p</i><0.01 (Mann – Whitney).</p><p>Effect of a chronic treatment for 60 days at low concentrations of HgCl₂ on sperm morphology of rats.</p

Phenylephrine concentration-response curves in the aortic rings of control and cadmium-exposed rats after SOD (A) or catalase (B) incubation.

<p>Densitometric analysis of the western blot to measure the superoxide dismutase Cu/Zn (Cu/ZnSOD) protein expression in the aortic rings of control and cadmium-treated rats (C). Representative blots are also shown. *P<0.05, Student’s t-test. The number of animals used is indicated in parentheses.</p