Experimental study of the gonadotoxic effect of forest fire smoke

Abstract

Introduction. The study of the effects of air smoke during natural fires on the reproductive system is the actual scientific problem at present. Material and methods. The experimental study took place in 2 stages. At the first stage of the study, white male rats were exposed to the smoke-bearing effects of wildfire for 7 days (4 hours a day), and at the second stage, 5 days a week (4 hours a day) for one month. Immediately after the end of the exposure, the animals were decapitated under light ether anesthesia to study the morphofunctional state of the reproductive system, which included counting the total number of spermatogonia, the number of tubules with desquamated epithelium, as well as determining the spermatogenesis index and the number of Leydig cells. Results. The functional state of the reproductive system of male white rats after exposure to smoke for 1 week did not have statistically significant differences from the animals of the control group. At the same time, an increment in the duration of exposure (4 weeks) led to significant morphological and functional disorders of the reproductive system of male white rats, characterized by a decrease in the spermatogenesis index with a simultaneous decrease in the percentage of spermatogonia and the number of interstitial Leydig cells. Discussion. Male reproductive health can be a sensitive marker of environmental factors, and there is no evidence of smoke from natural fires in modern literature. This study justifies the need to develop new approaches to the diagnosis and prevention of adverse effects on the body for a long stay in a smoke area. Conclusion. The results of the study indicate the prolonged exposure to combustion products released during a forest fire to lead to inhibition of reproductive function in male white rats.