OBJECTIVEThe content of acrylamide increases remarkably in fried, baked and heat-processed starchy foods. The present experiment was aimed at investigating the toxicity of acrylamide on the reproductive system in male rats.

METHODSThirty weaned 21-day-old SD male rats were randomly allotted into three groups of 10 each. Group I and Group II were fed on water solutions containing acrylamide 5 mg/kg/d and 10 mg/kg/d for eight consecutive weeks, while the third group on fresh water only as the control. The body weight, viscera weights and testicle and epididymis tissues were detected at the fourth and eighth week respectively. In the end of the experiment, the sperm reserve and morphology in the cauda of the epididymis were examined.

RESULTSThe growth of the rats treated with acrylamide was retarded (P < 0.05). The weights of the testis and epididymis and the sperm concentration in the cauda of the epididymis of Group II were decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after acrylamide administration, while no significant change was observed in the sperm concentration of Group I (P > 0.05). Furthermore, histopathological lesions were presented in the testes of the treated rats, and the number of Leydig cells around the apoptosis seminiferous tubules increased significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcrylamide has toxic effects on seminiferous tubules and decreases the production of sperm in male rats.