Abstract :
Background: Chlorpyriphos-ethyl (CE) is an organophosphate insecticide
largely used in our communities for crop protection and hygienic purposes
and limited data is available on its toxicity after prenatal exposure. In this
study the effects CE were evaluated on the fertility in male rats exposed
prenatally to the pesticide.
Methods: Four groups of primiparous pregnant rats were orally given every
two days a dose of CE (0.00, 3.50, 4.25 or 10.50 mg.kg-1 of body weight) for the
whole gestational period. After delivery, male offspring were bred for 4
months without treatment and fifteen days to the end, each male was housed
with 2 females for the fertility test. At the end of the experimental period,
animals were weighed and then sacrificed and reproductive organs collected.
The right cauda epididymis was used for the evaluation of sperm motility and
concentration while the testis was submitted to histopathology analysis.
Results: No significant effect (P > 0.05) was shown on reproductive organ
weights in rat born from CE-treated female as compared to the control group.
The epididymal sperm count was comparable (P > 0.05) among treatments,
but the highest dose of CE, 10.50mg.kg-1 significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the
percentage of motile sperms in male rats pups. This dose also induced an over
spacing in animal testicular seminiferous tubules. The fertility rate was not
significantly low in male rats prenatally exposed to 3.50mg.kg-1.
Conclusion: These data suggest that in utero exposure of male rats to CE can
lead to adverse effects such as decrease sperm motility with alteration of
seminiferous tubules and slight reduced fertility.
Keyword :
Chlorpyriphos-ethyl, fertility, in utero exposure, male rats, reproductive organs, sperm.