title: Effects of lead on the male mouse as investigated by in vitro fertilization and blastocyst culture.
abstract: Long-term exposure of male mice to inorganic lead (lead chloride, 1 g/liter) in the drinking water reduces their fertility. The cause of this reduction, expressed as a decrease in the number of mated females showing implantations, was investigated, using an in vitro fertilization method. It was found that spermatozoa from lead-exposed males had a significantly lower ability to fertilize mouse eggs than those from unexposed males. Preimplantation embryos, isolated from uterine horns of mice mated with lead-exposed males, were examined. No morphologically abnormal embryos were found. However, when cultured in vitro over the implantation period, blastocysts of the group mated with lead-exposed males showed an increased frequency of delayed hatching from the zona pellucida or an inability to hatch. Among blastocysts from this group a decreased frequency of inner cell mass development was also found.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000187:drug effects*; D007854:Lead / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007854:Lead