Reproductive
Toxicity studies in experimental animals
Many
chemicals in the work environment are known to adversely
affect
male reproductive system. Studies have been done on
pesticides, heavy metals , solvents and also on
panmasala.
Among
pesticides, cypermethrin was found to cause a significant
increase in the number of sperm head abnormalities and
degeneration of spermatogenic cells in a dose-dependent
manner. Experimental studies with DDT, BHC also showed
toxic effect on testicular tissue and delayed sperm
production. Reproductive effects of several heavy metals like
lead, mercury, selenium were also studied. The results
revealed that different heavy metals act on different cell
types of male germinal cells. Animal studies on lead-induced
sperm abnormalities also corroborated the human studies
carried out in printing press workers whose blood lead level
was high and correspondingly seminal lead level was also high.
It was also noted that organic mercury i.e. methyl mercury, is
more toxic to male gonads than inorganic mercury. Selenium was
found to inhibit the process of testosterone biosynthesis and
spermatogenesis.
Toxicity
studies on carbon disulphide (CS2) showed a dose dependent
decrease in sperm counts and increase in abnormalities in
sperm-head shapes. Findings of the experimental study were
corroborated by an epidemiological study in which
environmental concentrations of CS2 correlated with the
miscarriages suffered by wives of exposed workers. This
indicates that CS2 possesses the potential to exert male
mediated reproductive toxicity.
Toxic effect of panmasala was studied
on mouse testis and sperm morphology after chronic exposure
through feeding. It was observed that pan masala plain without
tobacco (PMP) and pan masala with tobacco (PMT) induced
deleterious histological alterations in mouse testis, however,
the changes were less pronounced in PMP treated group as
compared to that PMT treated animals. A statistically
significant elevation of sperm head shape abnormalities was
observed in panmasala treated groups more so in the PMT
treated.
 Carcinogenicity studies
Inhalation Toxicity Studies on
Methyl Isocyanine
Reproductive Toxicity
studies in experimental animals
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