Insights into the mechanism underlying reproductive toxicity of gasoline fumes in male albino rat

AbstractFew studies have reported reproductive toxicity of gasoline fumes in animals, but none of the findings has been fully ascertained and the mechanism underlying the observed toxicity still remains unknown. Here we present insights into the potential mechanism underlying the reproductive toxicity of gasoline fumes in 72 adult male albino rats randomly assigned to six groups of 12 rats per group. Rats in group 1 (control) were exposed to distilled water while those in groups 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were daily exposed to gasoline fumes for 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9  h respectively for 10 weeks. Serum level of reproductive hormones (testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin); testicular oxidative stress indices; epididymal sperm health assessment (count, motility, and morphology); activities of testis membrane-bound enzymes (Ca/ATPase, Mg/ATPase, Na/K-ATPase, total ATPase); and testicular histopathology were monitored. Gasoline compositions and its residues were quantified in the testis of exposed rats using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). There were significant (p <  0.05) alterations to all the reproductive hormones and oxidative stress indices and sperm health in the exposed rats. Some gasoline residues and metabolites were detected in the testis of exposed rats and, in turn, reduced the activities of the testis membrane-bound ATPase enzymes. Several degree s of histopathological lesions were seen in the testis of ...
Source: Comparative Clinical Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research