title: A study on the reproductive toxicity of erythrosine in male mice.
abstract: Worldwide usage of different colouring agents in the food industry prompted us to study their toxicity. The potential adverse effects of erythrosine (ER, FD & C Red No. 3) on the spermatogenesis process were investigated in adult mice. Testicular lactic dehydrogenase isoenzyme activity (LDH-X), a pachytene spermatocyte marker of testicular toxicity, was significantly decreased to 71.8% and 68.6% of the control value after daily p.o. administration of ER (21 days) in doses of 68 and 136 mg kg-1 respectively. At the same time, the normal average epididymal sperm count as well as the percentage of motile sperms were significantly inhibited by about 50% and 57% respectively. Moreover, ER was shown to disrupt the normal morphology of the sperm head. Thus, after 5 daily p.o administrations of ER in doses of 680 and 1360 mg kg-1 (equivalent to 10 and 20% of its LD50) it increased the incidence of sperms with abnormal head by about 57% and 65% respectively. The induced increase in sperm abnormalities could enhance the spermatogenic dysfunction and germ cell mutagenicity. These findings indicate that ER in the used doses has a potential toxic effect on spermatogenesis in mice and in turn, it may affect its testicular function and reproductive performance.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar, Egypt.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Abdel Aziz
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shouman
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Saad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D004923:Erythrosine / Q000633:toxicity*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000187:drug effects; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D004923:Erythrosine