Toxico-pathological effects of cypermethrin upon male reproductive system in rabbits

Abstract

The objective of this work was to identify the reproductive toxico-pathological effects of cypermethrin (CY) in mature male rabbits. Apparently healthy adult age- and weight-matched rabbits (n=40) were procured from the local market, kept under similar management conditions and divided into four equal groups. Different doses of CY (50, 100 and 150mgkg−1 body mass) mixed in mustard oil were injected intraperitonealy at weekly intervals in male rabbits (groups B–D) prior to mating. Group A served as control and each animal in this group received equivalent volume of mustard oil. Treatment was continued for 71days. Decreased testicular and epididymal sperm counts were recorded mostly in dose and time dependent manner in CY-treated rabbits. The serum testosterone concentrations in CY-treated rabbits were significantly lower than those of control group. Degeneration, arrested spermatogenesis and connective tissue (CT) proliferation in testes, while sperm-less seminal plasma and tailless spermatozoa in epididymis of CY-treated rabbits were observed. It was inferred that CY-induced defects in sperms and pathological alterations in testes and epididymis.