Effect of hexavalent chromium on testicular maturation in the rat.
Daily intraperitoneal administration of hexavalent chromium (Cr6+; 1, 2, and 3 mg/kg intraperitoneally as potassium dichromate) in weaned rats for an entire duration of 55 and 90 days of age produced dose- and duration-dependent enzymatic and pathologic alterations. At 55 days, the pathologic changes were not seen in testes of Cr6+ treated rats, but the activities of sorbitol dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly altered. When the treatment was prolonged to sexual maturity, that is, 90 days of age, the alterations in enzyme activities were greater, and there were dose-dependent pathologic changes in the testes of Cr(6+)-treated rats. These alterations suggest a risk to growing testes if rats are exposed to Cr6+ during the prepubertal stage of development, which, in turn, may disturb normal testicular physiology at adulthood.
Saxena
D K
DK
Neurotoxicology Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, Lucknow, India.
Murthy
R C
RC
Lal
B
B
Srivastava
R S
RS
Chandra
S V
SV
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011192:Potassium Dichromate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000187:drug effects; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000187:drug effects; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology
D011192:Potassium Dichromate