title: Reversibility of the adverse effects of 1-bromopropane exposure in rats.
abstract: Previous experiments indicated that 1-bromopropane (1-BP), an alternative to chloroflurocarbons, is neurotoxic and inhibits spermiation in the testis. Here we investigated the reversibility of the toxic effects of 1-BP in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into three equal groups of 24 each and exposed by inhalation to 0, 400 or 1000 ppm of 1-BP for 6 weeks (8 hrs/day, 7 days/week). Eight rats from each group were sacrificed at the end of 6 weeks exposure, and at 4 and 14 weeks after the end of exposure, to assess the recovery processes. We studied sperm count, motility, morphology and testicular histopathology, as well as blood pressure, skin temperature and hindlimb muscle strength. At the end of 6 weeks of exposure to 1000 ppm (0 week recovery), testicular weight, epididymal weight, sperm count and motility were low, morphologically abnormal sperm were increased and spermatogenic cells showed diffuse degeneration. These changes did not show full recovery at 14 weeks recovery, with the exception of the prostate and seminal vesicular weights, which recovered back to control values. At 400 ppm, increased retained spermatids at 0 week recovery returned to normal at 4 weeks recovery. Exposure to 1000 ppm produced sustained reduction of hindlimb muscle strength at 14 weeks recovery, whereas normalization of the skin temperature and blood pressure was noted after transient changes. Our study showed that the effect of 1-BP on spermatogenesis is dose-dependent; low exposure inhibited spermiation and hormone-dependent organ weight reduction and these changes were transient, while a higher dose of 1000 ppm 1-BP caused persistent depletion of spermatogenic cells.
authors: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors: Shameema
authors: S
authors: Banu
authors: Sahoko
authors: S
authors: Ichihara
authors: Fen
authors: F
authors: Huang
authors: Hidenori
authors: H
authors: Ito
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Inaguma
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Furuhashi
authors: Yoshinobu
authors: Y
authors: Fukunaga
authors: Qiangyi
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Junzoh
authors: J
authors: Kitoh
authors: Hisao
authors: H
authors: Ando
authors: Fumitaka
authors: F
authors: Kikkawa
authors: Gaku
authors: G
authors: Ichihara
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D006614:Hindlimb; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; C118559:1-bromopropane