**Abstract**

In the most recent the environmental provident and threatening conduct of arsenic has increased the consideration of the world due to its pollution and hazardous effects throughout the world. Arsenic contamination is serious issue throughout the world and is substantial risk factor in most of countries including China, U.S.A, India, Bangladesh, Mexico and Argentina. Several experimental models have been established to understand the diseases caused by arsenic exposure. However reproductive and developmental toxicity have been poorly understood. The objectives of this study are to discuss current landscapes and future horizons of arsenic toxicity in human and animals in relation to various toxicity routes including oral route involving food and water or through inhalation of agricultural pesticides. Addition of current evidence on the development of destiny and actions of arsenic toxicity in human and animal population and other species will lessen the uncertainties in the hazard assessment for arsenic. This effort would help to protect the public health against the toxic and carcinogenic effects associated with arsenic exposure.

**Keywords:** arsenic, reproduction, toxicity, endocrine, spermatogenesis

## **1. Introduction**

In the most recent the environmental provident and threatening conduct of arsenic has increased the consideration of the world due to its pollution and hazardous effects throughout the world [1, 2]. Arsenic contamination is serious issue throughout the world and is substantial risk factor in most of countries including China, U.S.A, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mexico and Argentina. Human revelation to arsenic is through oral route involving food and water or through inhalation of agricultural pesticides [3–5]. According to World Health Organization fact sheet, arsenic contamination is major public issue requires emergency amendments [6]. As the arsenic contamination of ground water is most serious issue for human health in China, India, Pakistan, inner-Mongolia and Bangladesh [7]. Arsenic is present round the earth in environment and is extremely toxic for life. It is metalloid occurring 20th in earth crust, 14th in sea water and 12th in human body [8]. Toxic effects of arsenic on health is wide spread in both humans and animals [9], as epidemiological substantiation proved that chronic arsenic exposure is associated with increased risk of liver, bladder and skin cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus

neuropathies, and ocular diseases [10–12]. Arsenic ingestion leads to accumulation in liver, kidney and lungs and small amount in gastrointestinal tract, muscle nervous system and spleen because these organs are rich in oxidative enzymes [13]. The toxic effects of arsenic mostly occur from chronic exposure to humans and animals. Epidemiological studies have revealed that chronic arsenic exposure is associated with elevated risk of liver, lung, kidney, and skin cancer in addition to other ailments such as vascular, diabetic, reproductive and neurologic [14, 15]. On the contrary arsenic has been considered as an effective chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of human cancer [16]. Various experimental models have been developed to understand the diseases caused by arsenic exposure. However reproductive and developmental toxicity have been poorly understood. Numerous studies documented elevated spontaneous abortion and stillbirth and decreased birth weight by utero arsenic exposure [17]. Arsenic as a risk factor for developing fetus has primarily been studied through murine studies, signifying the reproductive toxicity of arsenic. In animal's studies on arsenic toxicities revealed that arsenic is associated with spermatotoxicity [18] inhibition of testicular steroidogenesis and reduction of weight of testes and accessory organs [19]. In the current review, we try to summarize the existing information on arsenic toxicity from the available literature. We initiate by describing how and when the arsenic contamination took place by considering the course through current literature lens. We present an overview of how human and animals have been affected in the light of colors of various exposure sources by considering the relationship between arsenic toxicity and environment influenced by human activities. Furthermore, we conclude with a preview of future directions and challenges for this field.

Endocrine Disruption.

The gene regulation of mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoids, and androgen and progesterone receptors is disrupted by arsenic [20]. The mechanistic effect of arsenic on these four steroid hormones is studies on glucocorticoids receptors. Arsenic altered receptor of transcription regulation of DNA dependent glucocorticoids, signifying that transcriptional machinery is required for glucocorticoids regulation [21]. Comprehensive mutational investigation of glucocorticoids revealed that only receptor is not the causal target for arsenic effect, as studies that entire C-terminal and N-terminal domains can be removed from glucocorticoids receptors without altered arsenic effects, which indicate the primary mediator of the response of central DNA binding domain. However mutation of almost all the predicted sites of DNA binding domains did not eliminate function and also did not ablate the arsenic effects [21] Abnormalities of male reproductive system such as hypospadias, prostate, testicular cancer and cryptorchidism, may instigate through endocrine disruption [19].
