title: [A study on the genital system injury induced by nickel sulfate in male rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the mechanism of the genital system damage by nickel sulfate in male rats in order to provide the laboratory theoretical evidence for the prevention and cure of nickel genital toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of rats were injected intraperitoneally with nickel sulfate at dose of 1.25, 2.50, 5.00 mg/kg respectively for two weeks. The content of testicle nickel and blood serum testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) were assessed with atomic absorption spectrum and radioimmuno-assay, meanwhile the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and the content of nitric oxide (NO) were measured by enzyme method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The contents of testicle nickel [(0.22 +/- 0.03), (0.34 +/- 0.04), (0.41 +/- 0.02) micro g/g respectively] were increased, but the content of T, TSH, LH in blood serum were reduced; the activities of NOS in testicle tissue [(33.65 +/- 2.93), (26.53 +/- 9.52), (10.20 +/- 2.74) U/g respectively] were inhibited by nickel sulfate and the contents of NO [(0.26 +/- 0.03), (0.18 +/- 0.05), (0.15 +/- 0.02) mmol/g respectively] were decreased (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nickel-induced genital system injury of male rats may be related to the decrease in the contents of T, TSH, LH, and the inhibition on NOS, as well as the fall of NO content.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Lanzhou Medical College, Lanzhou 730000, China.
authors.forename: Ying-biao
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yu-zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xue-xi
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000032:analysis; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013739:Testosterone; C029938:nickel sulfate; D009532:Nickel; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase