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Sperm Chromatin Structure Is Altered in Cynomolgus Monkeys With Environmentally Relevant Blood Lead Levels

Environmental & Occupational Toxicology Division Environmental Health Directorate Health Protection Branch Department of Health, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Avril McMahon

Environmental & Occupational Toxicology Division Environmental Health Directorate Health Protection Branch Department of Health, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Deborah C. Rice

Toxicology Research Division Food Directorate Health Protection Branch Department of Health, Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Exposure to lead has been associated with a variety of adverse reproductive outcomes such as spontaneous abortion, impaired fecundity, and sterility. Although decreased sperm counts and serum testosterone levels have been found in men with occupational lead exposure, animal experiments suggest that fertility may be impaired at blood lead levels that have no apparent effect on reproductive hormone levels or sperm concentration. Consequently, this study investigated the effect of chronic lead treatment on semen quality in healthy cynomolgus monkeys aged 15- 20 years with mean (± SD) blood lead levels of 10 ± 3 µg/dL (range 6-20 µg/dL, n = 4) and 56 ± 49 µg/dL (range 22-148 µg/dL, n = 7) compared to a reference group with blood lead levels <1.0 µg/dL (n = 8). Blood and semen samples were collected once from each monkey in five different months. Serum testosterone levels were determined by radioimmunoassay, and lead effects on chromatin structure were analyzed by flow cytometry. There were no effects of treatment on circulating levels of testosterone or parameters of semen quality such as sperm count, viability, motility, and morphology. However, significant (p < 0.03) treatment-related effects were seen on SD _t values in the treated vs control animals. Group comparisons also revealed that the effects of chronic lead exposure were significant (p < 0.05)

Key Words: 2. Abbreviations: AO • Acridine orange • ANOVA • analysis of variance • BLL • blood lead level • COMP • cells outside the main population • DNA • deoxyribonucleic acid • EDTA • ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid • PI • propidium iodide • SCSA • sperm chromatin structure assay • and T • serum testosterone.

Toxicology and Industrial Health, Vol. 12, No. 5, 723-735 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/074823379601200509


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