title: Combined action of uranium and stress in the rat. II. Effects on male reproduction.
abstract: The effects of stress on the potential reproductive toxicity of long-term exposure to uranyl acetate dihydrate (UAD) were assessed in adult male rats. Six groups of animals were given UAD at 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/day in the drinking water during 3 months. Animals in three of these groups were also subjected to restraint for 2 h/day during the same period. Control groups included restrained and unrestrained male rats not exposed to UAD. To evaluate the fertility, male rats were mated with untreated females for 2 weeks. Although body weight was not affected by uranium at any dose, there was a significant (not dose-related) decrease in the pregnancy rate. Moreover, spermatid number/testis was significantly decreased by uranium administration. Histopathological examination of the testes in rats killed after 3 months of treatment revealed few differences in the tubule and interstitial alterations (focal atrophy, binucleated cells) between control and uranium-exposed animals. The results of this investigation show that at the current UAD doses, restraint stress did not enhance the uranium-induced adverse effects on reproduction in male rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovira i Virgili University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Linares
authors.forename: M Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Albina
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellés
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mayayo
authors.forename: Domènec J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014501:Uranium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C005460:uranyl acetate; D014501:Uranium