Age-Related Dose Response of Selected Reproductive Parameters to Acute Cadmium Chloride Exposure in the Male Long-Evans Rat

摘要

Groups of Long Evans rats 30, 50, or 70 days old were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) with a single dose of between 0 and 52 micromoles Cd/Kg as cadmium (CD) chloride. Sixty days post dosing and two hours prior to sacrifice the rats were injected s.c. with 100 IU of hCG to stimulate maximal serum testosterone concentrations. At this time the testes, epididymides and seminal vesicles were removed and weighed. Cardiac blood was taken for determination of serum concentrations of testosterone (sT), follicle stimulating (sFSH) and leutinizing hormone (sLH). Samples of luminal fluid were collected from the vas deferens for the determination of sperm concentration. Regression analyses demonstrated a significant (p < 0.01) age dependant dose response in all reproductive parameters with the older animals more severely affected in the absence of significant (p < 0.05) body weight decrements. The most sensitive indicators of Cd exposure in all age groups were testicular and epididymal weight followed by vas deferens sperm concentration and sFSH concentration. Seminal vesicle weight and sT and sLH concentrations were found to be the least sensitive indicators of acute Cd exposure. (Copyright (c) Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 19:393-401, 1986.)