Author/Authors :
P. Hari Priya، P. Hari نويسنده Department of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati – 517502, India , , Girish، B.P. نويسنده epartment of Biotechnology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati – 517502, India , , Reddy، P. Sreenivasula نويسنده Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati – 517502, India ,
Abstract :
We investigated whether restraint stress interferes with lead-induced suppressed fertility in rats. Male Wister rats
(weighing 200 ± 10 g in the beginning of the experiment) were subjected to either restraint stress (5 hours/day) or
exposed to lead (0.15%) or both for 60 days. To assess the fertility, control and experimental males were cohabited
with sexually mature normal females. No significantchanges (p > 0.05) were observed in the body weight gain of
experimental males. Similarly, no changes (p > 0.05) were observed in the mating index. In contrast, there was a
significant decrease (p < 0.05) in fertility rate, measured by counting live foetuses in the uterus of normal females
mated with males exposed to either restraint stressor lead. In rats mated to males subjected to both restraint stress
and lead treatment, a significant decrease (p < 0.05)in live fetuses was observed as compared to rats mated with lead
alone exposed males.These data demonstrate that adult male rats exposed to either restraint stress or lead
significantly decreased fertilization capacity and stress potentiatesthe reproductive toxicity of lead
