期刊名称:Universal Journal of Environmental Research and Technology
电子版ISSN:2249-0256
出版年度:2011
卷号:1
期号:4
出版社:Euresian Publications
摘要:Environmental toxicology studies the effect of environmental toxicants on the health of all organisms and on the different compartments of the environment. Despite the scientific studies carried out over the years, on the toxic effects of lead on development of organism, still there are uncertainties over the reproductive effects of different levels of lead exposure. The reproductive effects of lead are complex and appear to involve multiple pathways, not all of which are fully understood. Reproductive dysfunctions by lead have distinct morphological changes, decrease sperm quality and alter sperm morphology. The effect of different toxicants is registered at different levels of development of the male reproductive tract, thus rendering the analysis of reproductive damage much more complicated. In the animal model, lead has a primary effect on the testes, and acts at all levels of the developing reproductive axis. The present review is undertaken to investigate the chronic effects of lead acetate on development of reproductive system in Swiss albino mice. Previous reported studies shown that lead exposure suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, thus alters the histology of testis, the morphology of the spermatozoa and the relationship of cell types in the testes. Mating of lead-treated males with non-treated females confirmed the reduction of fertility in the exposed males