title: Functional disturbance of rat sexual accessory glands in an early phase of lead intoxication.
abstract: In order to investigate the effects of chronic lead intoxication on sexual accessory glands adult male Wistar rats were poisoned by ad libitum ingestion of lead acetate at concentrations of 0.5 g/l and 1.0 g/l for 90 d. Blood lead exhibited a significant increase in both treated groups. A decrease in hematocrit and hemoglobin, besides a rise in glycemic levels, confirmed lead intoxication. No sign of lesion was detected upon histologic examination of prostate, seminal vesicle, and coagulating gland. A morphometric technique revealed that, in this early phase of intoxication, no alteration occurred in the prostate's and seminal vesicle's epithelial height. However, a significant decrease in fructose content was observed in both lead treated groups. The results, revealing a precocious envolvement of male sexual accessory glands in lead intoxication, were related to disturbance in plasma testosterone level and also probably in androgen receptors.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, USP, Brazil.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kempinas
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lamano-Carvalho
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Petenusci
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Favaretto
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Azoubel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005632:Fructose / Q000032:analysis; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007854:Lead; D005632:Fructose