Lead-induced cell death in testes of young rats.
Lead is a well-documented testicular toxicant. The present work was planned to study the occurrence of germ cell death after lead administration. Young growing rats were treated with 5, 10 and 20 mg kg(-1) body weight of lead for 2 weeks. Cell death was assessed by employing in situ TUNEL staining, DNA electrophoresis and morphological examination of the tubules. The results showed that Pb induced significant numbers of germ cells to undergo apoptosis in the seminiferous tubules of rats treated with 20 mg kg(-1) body weight. However, DNA fragmentation was not detected at any of the doses. The level of lead accumulation in the testis increased in a dose-dependent manner.
Adhikari
N
N
Embryotoxicology Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, M.G. Marg, Post Box No. 80, Lucknow 226 001, India.
Sinha
N
N
Narayan
R
R
Saxena
D K
DK
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C008261:lead acetate