RESUMO
We investigated the effect of the topical application of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) on skin thickness and the expression of several apoptosis-related proteins in skin. After administration of DMA during pregnancy, skin thickness and skin expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-3, Bad, Bid, and caspases-3, -6, -8, -9, and -12 were examined in dams and their offspring. DMA treatment caused significant increases in skin thickness (p < 0.05) and the expression of Bcl-2, Bad, and capase-12 in the skin of dams at the mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.01). However, maternal exposure to DMA did not significantly alter the expression of the studied apoptosis-related factors in the skin of the offspring. These findings indicate that DMA may induce skin apoptosis, in part, by modulating the expression of Bcl-2, Bad, and caspase-12 in maternal skin. Additionally, our results suggest that maternal exposure to DAM during pregnancy may not induce apoptosis in the skin of the offspring.