Acrylamide is a common chemical material, extensively used in industry and scientific experiments. Recently, it has been reported that starchy food cooked at high temperature can produce acrylamide. Acrylamide monomer has several toxic effects and the extensive concern for its toxicity has arisen with the finding of acrylamide formation in some processed foods. Researches have shown that acrylamide monomer can cause reproductive toxicity, including toxic effects on male reproductive behavior, male reproductive endocrine function and spermatogenesis. The mechanisms may include the effects of acrylamide on Leydig cells, the formation of motor protein/ chromosomal/DNA alkylation and damage by oxidative stress.
Acrylamide ; toxicity ; Animals ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Sexual Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; physiology ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects

This paper summarizes the research progress of reproductive toxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii from 1979,and the toxicity characterization,damage mechanism,and attenuated measures are summarized. It was found that,the reproductive toxicity caused by T. wilfordii is mainly distributed on components of Tripterygium glycosides,triptolide,tripchlorolide,and clinically preparations,such as Leigongteng Tablets and Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets. Adverse reactions to male reproductive system caused by Tripterygium preparations mainly include decreased sperm motility,oligospermia or spermatozoa,decreased fertility or infertility,etc. Long-term drug use may also lead to testicular atrophy and decreased sexual desire. Adverse reactions to women are mainly manifested as menstrual disorders,decreased menstrual volume or even amenorrhea,decreased sexual desire,infertility,etc. The reproductive toxicity of T. wilfordii is related to apoptosis of reproductive cells,disturbance of spermatogenesis or oogenesis,damage of testis and ovary in reproductive target tissues,and changes of internal environment in gonad tissues( hormones,hormone synthesis rate-limiting enzymes and energy metabolism). Drug compatibility,hormone replacement,medication duration and dosage form changes can help reduce the damage of T. wilfordii to the reproductive system. In addition,in view of the existing problems in the current study,the author proposes new directions in clinical studies,pharmacological metabolism mechanism,preparation quality standards and new therapeutic effects,etc.,to provide a basis for the safe and reasonable clinical application of T. wilfordii.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; toxicity ; Female ; Genitalia ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Ovary ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; Tripterygium ; toxicity

The present article reviews the advances in the studies of male reproductive toxicity of the pesticides that are widely used and commonly researched in the recent years by means of animal experiment and human investigation. The mechanism of male reproductive toxicity of pesticides is discussed. And problems are raised in the evaluation of human reproductive hazards.
Animals ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Pesticides ; toxicity ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects

The research on endocrine disrupters has become one of the key directions in the field of environmental medical science. Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) are widely used in industry and family washing as one of the non-ionic surfactants. NPEs can be degraded biologically to nonylphenol (NP), whose estrogenic effects or toxicity may do harm to the reproductive systems of male fish, amphibians and mammals. Thus it is an urgent affair to develop perfect assays, evaluate the harm of these chemicals to human beings, find the exact mechanism of action and restrict the use of NPEs.
Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fishes ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; Male ; Phenols ; toxicity ; Rats ; Water Pollutants, Chemical ; toxicity ; Xenopus

The safety of occupational exposure to inhaled anesthetics remains a concern among the medical staff in hospitals. Few reports are seen about the impact of inhaled anesthetics on the reproductive system, particularly that of males. Several clinical and basic studies on isoflurane and others suggest that inhaled anesthetics affect the reproductive system of rodents by decreasing the sperm count, inducing sperm morphological abnormality, reducing sperm motility, and changing the levels of reproductive hormones, the underlying mechanisms of which are mainly associated with the alteration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and DNA damage and apoptosis of reproductive cells. This article reviews the main impacts of inhaled anesthetics on the male reproductive system and the possible mechanisms.
Anesthetics, Inhalation ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; DNA Damage ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; pharmacology ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects

Detrimental effects of tributyltin (TBT) chloride on the reproductive system were investigated in pubertal male rats. Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats aged with 35 days were assigned to six different groups; negative control receiving vehicle, positive control receiving methyltestosterone (10 mg/kg B.W.), TBT chloride (5 mg/kg B.W., 10 mg/kg B.W., and 20 mg/kg B.W.), and a combination of TBT chloride (10 mg/kg B.W.) and flutamide (10 mg/kg B.W). The animals were treated with test compounds by oral gavage daily for 10 days and sacrificed on the next day of the final treatment. The treatment with TBT chloride at the doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg B.W. significantly decreased seminal vesicle weights, compared to the negative control. The combined treatment of TBT chloride and flutamide caused a significant decrease in accessory sex organ weights, compared to the control and TBT chloride treatments. The treatment with TBT chloride or in the combination with flutamide increased detached debris and sloughed cells in the tubules of epididymis and narrowed seminal vesicles. In addition, the combined treatment with TBT chloride and flutamide caused a noticeable increase in serum androgen level, compared to the negative control.These results suggest that TBT chloride exposed during pubertal period cause partial reproductive disorders in male rats.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Epididymis/drug effects ; Flutamide/pharmacology ; Genitalia, Male/*drug effects ; Male ; Methyltestosterone/pharmacology ; Organ Size ; Prostate/drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seminal Vesicles/drug effects ; *Sexual Maturation/drug effects ; Testis/drug effects ; Trialkyltin Compounds/*pharmacology

As a new type of pesticides and because of their high performance and low toxicity, pyrethroid insecticides are widely used in place of organochlorine insecticides both in agriculture and in the home. In the recent years, more and more evidence indicates that pyrethroid insecticides can reduce sperm count and motility, cause deformity of the sperm head, increase the count of abnormal sperm, damage sperm DNA and induce its aneuploidy rate, as well as affect sex hormone levels and produce reproductive toxicity. The present article reviews the advances in the studies of male reproductive toxicity of pyrethroid pesticides by experiment in animals and human population, discusses the mechanism of male reproductive toxicity of pesticides and raises some problems concerning the evaluation of human reproductive hazards.
Animals ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; toxicity ; Male ; Mice ; Pyrethrins ; poisoning ; toxicity ; Rats ; Toxicity Tests

AIMTo study the effect of Corynanthe Yohimbe (Yohimbe) on germ cells in Swiss albino mice.

METHODSAdult male mice were orally (gavage) treated with different doses (188, 375 and 750 mg/[kg x day]) of aqueous suspension of Yohimbe for 90 days. The following parameters were evaluated: (i) reproductive organ weight, (ii) motility and count of sperm, (iii) study on rate of pregnancy and mean implants, (iv) spermatozoa morphology, (v) cytology of the testes chromosomes, and (vi) biochemical study on estimation of proteins, RNA, DNA, malondialdehyde, nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) and hormones.

RESULTSThe treatment caused significant increase in the weight of seminal vesicles, motility and count of spermatozoa, pre- and post-implants. Male fertility was decreased. These results are confirmed by our data on spermatozoa abnormalities and chromosomal aberrations. The data on biochemical parameters showed increase of malondialdehyde and depletion of NP-SH, proteins, RNA and DNA in the testicular cells.

CONCLUSIONOur results elucidated the role of free radical species in cytological and reproductive changes, possibly, under the influence of yohimbine (principal constituent of Yohimbe) on neurotransmitters, including norephinephrine. These data warrant careful use of Yohimbe.

Animals ; Female ; Fertility ; drug effects ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; Hormones ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Pausinystalia ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Reproduction ; drug effects ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects

AIMTo assess the effect of estradiol-17beta (E(2)) and bisphenol A (BPA) administered chronically by implanting a silicone tube throughout pregnancy and lactation on male pups' reproductive system in ICR mice.

METHODSFemale mice were implanted with a tube filled with 10 ng, 500 ng, 1 microg, or 10 microg of E(2), or 100 microg or 5 mg of BPA, before mating. The tube was kept in the mice throughout pregnancy and lactation, until the pups had weaned at 4 weeks of age. During the period, E(2) was released from the tube at 120 pg or 6, 12 or 120 ng/day, and BPA at 1.2 or 60 microg/day.

RESULTSMost of the mice given 1 microg and 10 microg of E(2) did not maintain their pregnancy. However, the other groups showed high rates of birth, more than 70%. At age of 4 weeks, the male pups were killed. Body weight and reproductive organ weights (testes, epididymides and accessory reproductive glands) in the treated groups did not differ from the control values, whereas the percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testis with mature spermatids was significantly lower in the groups given 10 ng and 500 ng of E(2) and 5 mg of BPA than that in the control.

CONCLUSIONChronic exposure to E(2) and BPA might disrupt spermatogenesis in male pups.

Animals ; Benzhydryl Compounds ; Birth Rate ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; pathology ; Lactation ; Male ; Mice ; Phenols ; pharmacology ; Pregnancy ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the effects of 19-nortestosterone (NT) on the growth and development of the ventral prostate (VP), epididymis, and seminal vesicles (SV) in hypogonadal (hpg) mice.

METHODSThe silastic tube filled with NT was implanted subdermally into mature hpg mice (n = 7) for five weeks. Similar silastic tubes without NT were implanted into both of hpg mouse control group (n = 7) and normal mouse group (n = 10) instead. The weights of sex accessory glands and the branch tip number of VP from all mice were evaluated.

RESULTSThe weights of VP, SV, and epididymis in NT treated hpg group were significantly higher than those of hpg control group (P < 0.005); and the branching morphology of the VP showed a tendency to be normal and the development of prostate ductal tip was improved significantly. Especially, the weight of SV in NT treated hpg mice was equal to that of normal mice, while the weights of VP, epididymis and branching tip number in NT treated hpg group was still significantly lower than that of normal mice (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONSThe NT treatment significantly stimulates the growth and development of the sex accessory gland in mature hpg mouse.

Animals ; Epididymis ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Genitalia, Male ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Hypogonadism ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Nandrolone ; therapeutic use ; Prostate ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Seminal Vesicles ; drug effects ; growth & development