title: Paternal exposure to low-dose lead acetate: effect on implantation rate,pregnancy outcome, and sex ratio in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been reported from in vivo exposed experimental animals that paternal lead exposure reduces birth rate; however, there is limited evidence to suggest a decrease in the proportion of male births. This study investigated the role of paternal exposure to lower lead acetate doses on early embryonic development (implantation) and the sex ratio of their offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total 180 Swiss Webster mice were used (60 male and 120 female). The males were divided into 3 groups: G1 (untreated group), G2 (treated daily with 50 µg/kg BW lead acetate), and G3 (treated daily with 100 µg/kg BW lead acetate). The implantation success rate, pregnancy outcome, and sex ratio were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed a highly significant reduction in both the percentage of implantation rate and the number of offspring in the G3 mice, but there was no signification difference for the G2 mice. There was a slight insignificant reduction in the number of newborn males compared with females for both G2 and G3 mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest lead exposure in experimental animals reduces implantation rate with paternal BLL of 28 µg/dL and the sex ratio for offspring showed a slight insignificant reduction with both paternal BLLs of 23.5 µg/dL and 28 µg/dL.
authors: The Higher Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors: Basima
authors: B
authors: Al-Juboori
authors: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors: Farqad
authors: F
authors: Hamdan
authors: The Higher Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors: Anam
authors: A
authors: Al-Salihi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D018812:Paternal Exposure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012744:Sex Ratio
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C008261:lead acetate
keywords: Lead acetate; implantation rate; mice; sex ratio