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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Reprod Toxicol. 2014 Dec 25;54:66–75. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2014.12.011

Figure 5. Effects of early life exposure to arsenite on the expression of ERa transcripts in the mammary gland of female offspring.

Figure 5

Pregnant female rats were treated with arsenite (5 µg/kg bw) or ethinyl estradiol (50 µg/kg bw) as described in Figure 1 and the female offspring were examined.

(a) In utero effects on ERα transcripts in the prepubertal gland. The amount of 5’UTR ERα mRNA was measured on postnatal days 15, 20 and 25 by qRT-PCR and normalized to Arbp mRNA (mean±SEM; n=2–3/group; * p<0.05).

(b) In utero effects on ERα transcripts in the adult gland. Female offspring were ovariectomized on postnatal day 45. On postnatal day 60, the amount of ERα 5’UTR transcript was measured by a qRT-PCR assay and normalized to Arbp mRNA (mean±SEM; n=4–12/group; * p<0.05).

(c) In utero effects on ERα gene transcription in the adult gland. Female offspring were ovariectomized on postnatal day 45, nuclei were isolated on postnatal day 60, and a nuclear run on assay was performed. The amount of the nascent ERα transcript was measured by qRT-PCR, normalized to Arbp transcript, and presented as fold difference (n=4–10).

(d–e) In utero effects on the regulation of ERα transcripts in the adult gland. Female offspring were ovariectomized on postnatal day 45 and treated for four days with estradiol beginning on postnatal day 56. On postnatal day 60, the amount of O and OT transcripts was measured by a qRT-PCR assay, normalized to Arbp mRNA, and presented as fold difference (mean±SEM; n=4–11/group; * p<0.05).