Toxic Effect of Lead on Reproductive System in
Male Albino Mice
Hussein Jassim
Al-Harrby
Jasim Mohammed
Salman
Hannan Jassim
Babylon university-College of Science
Fawzia Muttar
Abid
Technical Institute of Babylon
Abstract
This study conducted to determine the effect of lead (pb) on weight of somebody organs as
well as male reproduction in albino mice, 20 albino Swiss mice (balb-c) used in this study, the animals
were divided into four groups, treatment with lead at concentration (0, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5) ppm for 7 days.
The results showed no significantly (P>0.05) effect of treatment on body organs weight (liver,
kidney and adrenal gland), except weight of spleen (P<0.05), while weight of testis, epidydmus,
seminal vessels and prostate decreased significantly (P<0.05) when compared with control especially at
concentrations 0.3, 0.5 ppm, and the sperm parameter (grade activity, concentration of sperm in
epidydmus and percentage of sperm abnormalities) showed significant effects (P<0.05) in all treatment
groups in comparsion with control group, and this effects may be due to of Pb accumulation in
reproductive system and sperm parameter.
‫الخالصة‬
‫تر ر تتع اتتن ا ج تتعض ا ت ع تتا‬
‫اجريتتذ تترا ا ار ت معرف ت تتتر ر ا رصتتعل اتتن اعضاا ععتتا اس يتتع ا ج تتم عكتتر‬
‫ ق تمذ ا ي عا تتعذ ا تن ارجتم مجتعم م عماتتذ‬balb-c ‫ترا ا ار ت تع‬
‫ فتع ار ع تريع اي يتع فت‬20
. ‫ا ع‬7 ‫) جض عع ما عا م ة‬0،0.1،0.3،0.5( ‫عع تراك ض‬
‫ت ت ت ت ت ت ت تت ت ت ت ت ت تتر ر اعضاا اس يت ت ت ت ت ت تتع ا ج ت ت ت ت ت ت تتم ا كي ت ت ت ت ت ت ت ا ا كا ت ت ت ت ت ت ت ت ا عا ت ت ت ت ت ت ت ة اس ري ع ت ت ت ت ت ت ت مع ع ت ت ت ت ت ت تتع‬
‫تتتر رذ اعضاا ا ج تتعض ا ت ع تتا ا تتركرع عع مععمات ي ت‬
‫ا تركر فت ا فئتراا ا يت اا ا تتت‬
‫اظ ت ت ت ت ت ت تترذ ا تت ت ت ت ت ت تتعئ‬
‫( كتتر‬p> 0.05) ‫( عع مععمات فت ي ت ا اظ تتر ا يتتع تتتر ار مع ع تتع‬p>0.05)
‫( مقعر ت عمجمع ت ا ت رة ع عصت‬p>0.05) ‫اظ ترذ اعضاا كتتن متتا ا صت عا يترج عا يع صتتا ا م ع ت عا يرع تتعذ ا فعيتتع مع ع تتع‬
‫تا فت ا يترج عا تتع‬
‫تتاا ترك تض ا‬
‫ر ت ا تتن فعع ت ا رصتتعل‬
‫تا ا م رع ت ( رجت لتعف ا‬
‫ جتض عتتع ما عاا فت يت ا تتتر رذ معتع ر ا‬0.5 ‫ ع‬0.3 ‫ا ترك تضيا‬
‫( عمجتتعم م ا مععمات مقعر ت عمجمع ت ا ت رة عقت رجتتم تتي‬p> 0.05) ‫ا مئع ت ا تتا ا ن تتع ) مع ع تتع‬
.‫ا‬
‫ان ا ج عض ا ت ع ا عتر را ف اعضاا عمعع ر ا‬
‫ا تراكم‬
Introduction
The toxicity of heavy metals may causes pathological and physiological
dysfunction of organs (Geyikoglu & Turkez, 2006). Lead (Pb) is a dangerous heavy
metals which widely spread in the environment. Lead content in the air, food and tap
water has increase folds during recent years due to extensive use of this metal in
petrol, paints, battery and other industry (Golalipour et al., 2007). Lead is not known
to serve any necessary biological function within the body and its presence in the
body can lead to toxic effects (Rao et al., 2007). Many recent studies have indicated
an increasing prevalence of various abnormalities of the reproductive system in
human males, there is growing concern about the considerable decrease in sperm
density over at least 50 years in general populations world wide. Pb and cadmium (cd)
are highly toxic metals for humans and other mammals, both are pervasive in the
human environment and accumulate in the human body over lifetime, including
prenatal life (especially Pb) (Telisman et al., 2000), many animal studies (Clarkson et
al., 1985;Tas et al., 1996) showed that Pb can adversely effect of mammalian male
reproductive system. The results of previous studies suggest that relatively high
occupational exposure to Pb, as indicate by blood Pb levels can reduce human semen
quality (decreased number, motility and alter morphology) of sperm, whereas
894
Journal of Babylon University/Pure and Applied Sciences/ No.(3)/ Vol.(19): 2011
reproductive endocrine function is either not effect or is only marginally affected
(Alexander et al., 1996 ;Viskum et al., 1999).
Materials & Methods
This study included 20 mature albino male mice (balb-c) weight between 2530 g. These animals individually in wire mess cages based in Babylon universitycollege of Science and maintained on 12-12 hour light/dark, food and water were
supplied ad libitum.
Lead
The metal concentration preparation by dissolved 0.16 g of Pb(NO3)2 in 100
ml of distill water to obtain stock solution, and the concentration of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 ppm
preparation after that according to APHA (1999).
Treatment
The animals were divided into four groups, each group contain 5 male mice,
and gives Pb subcuntounsaly (SC) as the following:1. Group 1 gives Pb at 0.1 ppm for 7 days.
2. Group 2 gives Pb at 0.3 ppm for 7 days.
3. Group 3 gives Pb at 0.5 ppm for 7 days.
4. Group 4 gives Pb at zero ppm for 7 days as control.
On day after the last treatment, all the animals sacrified.
The body organs (liver, kidney, spleen and adrenal gland) and reproductive
organs such as testis, epididymis, simenal vescles and prostate were removed,
cleaned from adherent tissues, drying by filter paper and weight immediately.
Sperm parameter
The testes from each mice were carefully exposed and one of them was
removed together with its epididymis. The spermatozoa were obtained from caudal
epididymis, after this, caudal epididymis sperm density (count), grade degree of
sperm classified and abnormal sperms percent were estimated according to Hinting
(1989).
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis of obtained data was performed according to Snedecor and
Cochran (1980).
Results
The results showed that treatment with Pb caused a significant effects in male
mice.
Body organs weight
Table (1) showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in spleen weight only, but
liver, kidney and adrenal gland weight did not effect by treatment with Pb.
Reproductive organs weight
Table (2) revealed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in all reproductive organs
weight compared with control group.
Sperm parameter
Most of sperm parameter in this study showed a significant effect when
treatmed with Pb when compared with control. Grade activity showed significant
decrease (P<0.05) in all treated groups especially at concentration 0.5 ppm that
revealed grade activity zero in all animals and all sperm will dead (Fig.-1), the
concentration of sperms in epididymis showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) at
concentration 0.3 and 0.5 ppm when compared with control group (Fig.-2).
The percentage of abnormalities of sperms in male mice that treated with Pb
showed significant increased (P<0.05) at all concentration, especially at concentration
895
between 0.5 and 0.1 ppm, and the most of abnormalities were found in shape of head,
tail, cytoplasmic droplet and mid piece of sperm (Fig.-3).
Table (1): Mean of weight of some body organs in grams in mature albino males
mice that treated with different concentrations of lead.
n=4
Conc.
Control
0.1
0.3
0.5
Significant
Body
level
X  SD
X  SD
X  SD
X  SD
organ (g)
Liver
1.55  0.11
1.39  0.26
0.89  0.31 1.06  0.38
N.S.
Kidney
0.26  0.02
0.25  0.03 0.25  0.008 0.26  0.01
N.S.
a
b
b
b
Spleen
0.24  0.008 0.16  0.02 0.18  0.008 0.16  0.02
0.05
Adrenal
0.01  0.000
0.02  0.005
0.01  0.003 0.63  0.01
N.S.
gland
8
X  SD (Mean  SD)
N.S: Non significant
Various sumpulos mean significant different
Table (2): Mean of some reproductive organ weight in grams in mature albino
males mice that treated with different concentrations of lead.
n=4
Conc.
Control
0.1
0.3
0.5
Significan
t level
Reproductiv
X  SD
X  SD
X  SD
X  SD
e organ (g)
0.123  0.00
0.093  0.01 0.077  0.01
Testis
0.07  0.01
0.05
6
4
7
0.071  0.00 0.057  0.00 0.025  0.00 0.024  0.00
Epididymis
0.05
5
3
4
3
Seminal
0.102  0.00 0.083b  0.00 0.051b  0.01 0.05b  0.01
0.05
vescales
5
4
3
2
0.066  0.00 0.032  0.00 0.032  0.00 0.031  0.00
Prostate
0.05
8
5
6
1
Various sumpulos mean significant different
X  SD (Mean  Standard Deviation)
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Journal of Babylon University/Pure and Applied Sciences/ No.(3)/ Vol.(19): 2011
Grade activity
5
4
3
2
*
1
0
control
0.1
0.5
0.3
concentration (ppm )
Sperm concentration
in epididymis ×106
Figure (1): Grade activity in mature albino males mice that treated with different
concentrations of lead. n=5
* P<0.05
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
a
a
ab
b
control
0.1
0.3
0.5
concentration (ppm )
Figure (2): Concentration of sperms in epididymis (×106) in mature albino males mice
that treated with different concentrations of lead. n=5
Percentage of sperm abnormalities
Various sumpulos mean significant different ( P<0.05)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
bc
c
0.3
0.5
b
a
control
0.1
concentration (ppm )
Figure (3): Percentage of sperm abnormalities in mature albino males mice that
treated with different concentrations of lead. n=5
Various sumpulos mean significant different ( P<0.05)
Discussion
The overall results of this study indicate that even moderate exposure to Pb
can significant reduce semen parameter and influence reproductive organs.
The results of this study agree with pervious findings that indicate a significant
positive correlation between lead dose and expression (Ronis et al., 1996; Sokol et
al., 2002), studies indicated that occupational exposure to Pb has adverse effects on
897
sperm parameter (sperm counts, lower and a lesser motile and increase sperm
abnormality), studies showed that exposure to inorganic lead greater impaired male
reproductive function by reducing sperm count or changing sperm motility and
morphology (Lerda, 1992; Kumor, 2004).
Bonde et al. (2002) reported that adverse effects of lead on the sperm
parameter may be lead to induced denaturation of sperm chromatine are unlikely at
blood lead concentrations, other studies showed many effects include a decrease in
semen volume (Wildt et al., 1983), decrease sperm motility (Viskum et al., 1999),
sperm count (Lerda, 1992) and abnormal sperm morphology (Fisher et al., 1987), and
the reasons of these, it is possible that they were due to the increase in sex-hormone
binding globulin, or may be that lead could have produced cumlative development
abnormalities in brain perinatally that lead to changes in hormone levels (Abu-Taweel
& Ajarem, 2008), or due to a correlation between toxicity and changes of enzymes
activities as a result of lead treatment (Al-Rajhi & El-Shahway, 1998).
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