Abstract
Background: Pesticide toxicity is one of the major environmental health problems for the modern societies, as some of the effects may last long time after exposure. Propoxur is one of the Carbamate pesticide largely used in agriculture in the Western region of Cameroon. Methods: In order to evaluate the post-exposure effects of propoxur, 48 male rats (12 animals per group) aged 30 d were orally gavaged with 0.00, 1.73, 2.60 and 5.20 mg.kg-1 body weight of propoxur for 90 d. At the end of treatment, 6 rats per group were sacrificed and others were followed up for 90 additional days and submitted to a fertility test before sacrifice. Results: At the end of exposure propoxur significantly increased (P<0.05) the testis weight while it decreased (P<0.05) the cauda epididymal sperm motility in rat. Propoxur treatment and post-treatment exposure showed variable effect on the fertility rate with an increase and decrease at 2.60 and 5.20 mg.kg-1, respectively. At the 90th day post treatment, there was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in epididymis weight and sperm count and motility (P<0.05). In addition, post-exposure treatment with propoxur reduced (P<0.05) the pup litter size and the sex ratio at all doses. Histopathological examination revealed a high vacuity of germinal epithelia in treated rats that persisted after post-exposure time. Conclusion: Propoxur negatively affected male rats’ reproductive parameters with more significant adverse effects observed 90 d after the end of exposure.
Highlights
Carbamates (CRBs) are an important class of pesticides used worldwide in public health, rural and urban settings
The present study evaluated the effects of propoxur on reproductive parameters 90 d after exposure in male rats
The other organs did not show any post-exposure effect, though a decreased tendency was noted on the weights of testis and seminal vesicles of animals treated with the pesticide
Summary
Carbamates (CRBs) are an important class of pesticides used worldwide in public health, rural and urban settings. They constitute one of the main used pesticide families in agriculture since the ban of long-lasting organochlorine pesticides [1]. Propoxur belongs to the carbamate pesticide family It is one of the most important used both for health and for agricultural purposes on a variety of insect pests such as chewing and sucking insects, ants, cockroaches, crickets, flies, and mosquitoes.
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