title: Indium acetate toxicity in male reproductive system in rats.
abstract: Indium, a rare earth metal characterized by high plasticity, corrosion resistance, and a low melting point, is widely used in the electronics industry, but has been reported to be an environmental pollutant and a health hazard. We designed a study to investigate the effects of subacute exposure of indium compounds on male reproductive function. Twelve-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into test and control groups, and received weekly intraperitoneal injections of indium acetate (1.5 mg/kg body weight) and normal saline, respectively, for 8 weeks. Serum indium levels, cauda epididymal sperm count, motility, morphology, chromatin DNA structure, mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidative stress, and testis DNA content were investigated. The indium acetate-treated group showed significant reproductive toxicity, as well as an increased percentage of sperm morphology abnormality, chromatin integrity damage, and superoxide anion generation. Furthermore, positive correlations among sperm morphology abnormalities, chromatin DNA damage, and superoxide anion generation were also noted. The results of this study demonstrated the toxic effect of subacute low-dose indium exposure during the period of sexual maturation on male reproductive function in adulthood, through an increase in oxidative stress and sperm chromatin DNA damage during spermiogenesis, in a rodent model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811, Taiwan.|Department of Emergency Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Hsin
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Occupational Safety and Hazard Prevention, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, 43302, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811, Taiwan.|Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811, Taiwan.|Department of Surgery, E-DA Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, 824, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsin-Pao
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811, Taiwan.|School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW, 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Ping-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D023421:Models, Animal; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002843:Chromatin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D007204:Indium; D013481:Superoxides; D004247:DNA
keywords: indium acetate; male reproductive toxicity; serum indium level; sperm DNA damage; sperm function