Aim: To evaluate the effects of acute and chronic doses of methoxy acetic acid (MAA) on in vitro fertilisation by hamster sperm and to correlate the data with the testicular damage. Methods: Adult male hamsters were gavaged with 3 single doses (0, 80, 160 and 650 mg/kg) and 3 chronic doses (0, 8, 32 and 64 mg/kg daily for 5 weeks) of MAA in distilled water. After treatment hamsters were killed at weekly intervals and spermatozoa recovered from the distal cauda epididymides were used to assess the fertilising capacity in vitro. The testes were processed for histological examination. Results: Acute doses showed a significant reduction in sperm fertilising ability from week 3 and 4 after treatment and with the chronic doses, the effects were more extensive and persistent. The results were in correpondence with the testicular damages observed. Conclusion: It is evident that both acute and chronic doses of MAA can impair the sperm function by damaging one or more cell populations in the testis.
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