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 neonatal rat testis after antenatal exposure of cyclophosphamide (one time single dose of either 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight) to the developing fetuses, especially at the time of male sex differentiation. The rationale behind these experiments is to know about the involvement of Y-chromosome gene-dependent product(s) associated with gonadal dysfunction. Using SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and photosensitive silver staining technique, the study shows that the variety of proteins of different molecular weight ranges 40,000 to 127,000 Da are modulated by cyclophosphamide exposure to the developing testis. Interestingly, the overexpression of one protein of 74,500 Da was observed both in supernatant as well as in pallet fractions. The qualitative and quantitative regulation of newly synthesized protein appearance or disappearance is observed in a dose-dependent manner.