The Study Of Joint Effect Of Lead And Ethanol On Reproductive System In Male Rats

PrefaceNowadays, reproductive toxicity induced by lead and ethanol caused great attention. Both lead and ethanol might do harm to reproductive systems of men and animals, such as the total number of sperm, sperm motility, the level of testosterone and fertility reduced, while the rate of spermatic deformity increased.Both lead and ethanol are the most easily touched and widely exposed toxicants to people. However, most of the present studies are related to lead or ethanol respectively, seldom involves joint effect of them. Men who work in cold, humidity lead workshops are easily addicted to alcohol when they undertake intensive task, especially among young workers.Testicle is the primary organ of men and male animals. Chemicals directly exert harmful effect on spermatogenesis and alter the function of Leydig and Ser-toli cell in testicle, and they can also indirectly affect testicle by regulating sex hormone secretion through hypothalamus pituitary axis.In present study, we observed the joint effect of lead and ethanol on LPO, apoptosis in germ cells, semen quality and reproductive endocrine in testis of male rats, then explore the mechanism of joint effect of lead and ethanol.Materials and Methods1. Animals and treatmentAdult male Wistar rats were divided randomly into four groups: (1) corresponding group ( received distilled water ) ; ( 2 ) lead acetate-treated group ( received distilled water containing 0.5%c lead acetate) ; (3 ) ethanol-treated group (2.16mg/kg body weight) ; (4) lead acetate + ethanol-treated group.2. Method2. 1 Testicular and epididymal coefficientsviscera coefficients = (Organ weight/Body weight) x 100%2.2 Pb concentration analysisPb concentration in blood was determined by atomic absorption spectropho-tomery.2.3 Lipid peroxidation (LPO) analysis2. 3. 1 Products of lipid peroxidation were measured by the method of thio-barbituric acid reactive substance (TEARS)2. 3. 2 Glutathione was assayed by the method of DTNB.2. 3. 3 Superoxide dismutase ( SOD) was assayed as described in the procedure enclosed with the kit of SOD.2.4 Sperm determinationThe number, motility and deformity of sperm were determined by routine procedures.2. 5 Serum sex hormone determinationSerum testosterone ( T) , lutenizing hormone ( LH) were determined with radioimmunity methods.2. 6 Evaluation of Fas protein expression by an irnmunohistochemical study3. Data analysisAll data were expressed as means SD and analyzed using one way analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) followed by SPSS packages.Results1. Body weights, testicular and epididymal coefficientsThe body weights and epididymal coefficients did not show any significant change in the treated rats compared with those of the corresponding group of control animals ( P > 0. 05 ). The testicular viscera coefficients in the rats of the joint group decreased obviously with respect to the corresponding group of control animals(P<0.05).2. Pb concentration analysis2. Pb concentration analysisThe serum Pb concentration in the rats of the joint group and Pb-treated group were higher than those of the control and ethanol-treated animals (P <0. 05 ). There was no substantial difference of serum Pb concentration between the joint group and Pb-treated group animals, although the former was higher than the latter.3. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) in testisGSH in testis remained unchanged ( P > 0. 05) while production of MDA increased significantly (P <0. 05) in the animals treated with various doses of lead and ethanol relative to those of the corresponding group of control animals. SOD in testis of experimental groups rats reduced with respect to that of the corresponding group of control animals ( P < 0. 05). SOD in testis of the joint groups rats decreased with respect to that of the corresponding group of control animals (P<0. 05).4. Sperm analysisThe number and motility of sperm reduced obviously in the treated rats compared with those of the corresponding group of control animals (P <0.