| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 47
| Issue : 1 | Page : 22-26 |
Lead-induced adverse effects on the reproductive system of rats with particular reference to histopathological changes in uterus
Udayraj Premdas Nakade1, Satish Kumar Garg1, Abhishek Sharma1, Soumen Choudhury1, Rajkumar Singh Yadav1, Kuldeep Gupta2, Naresh Sood2
1 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, U.P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Viswavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Satish Kumar Garg
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, U.P. Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Viswavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh
India
 Source of Support: Financial assistance from Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, New Delhi, under Niche Area of Excellence
Programme (Grant No. 10(10)/2012-EPD, dated 23rd March, 2012) is
thankfully acknowledged, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0253-7613.150317
Objectives: This study was undertaken to elucidate the adverse effect of lead on female reproductive system following in vivo exposure in rats.
Materials and Methods: Animals of Group II, III and IV received lead acetate in drinking water (30, 100 and 300 ppm, respectively) for 28 days whereas Group I served as control. Lead levels in digested blood and bone samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
Results: Marked and a significant decrease in per cent body weight gain was observed in rats of Group IV and III, respectively, compared to that in the control group. Relative uterine weights were found to decrease by 27% in Group III and IV compared to control and low dose lead treated (30 ppm) rats. Lead levels were found to increase in a linear manner in blood along with a marked increase in bone levels in 100 ppm exposure group while there was a decrease in both the blood and bones levels at 300 ppm exposure. Compared to plasma progesterone levels in rats of the control group, a nonsignificant (12.46-21.13%) reduction in plasma progesterone were observed in different lead-treated groups. No apparent gross pathological lesions were observed in any of the vital organs, including uterus. However, histopathological examination of uteri of different groups revealed lead-induced dose-dependent inflammatory changes, which were characterized by thickening of the endometrium, narrowing of uterine lumen, damage to endometrial glands and vacuolar degeneration in endometrial epithelial cells.
Conclusion: Findings of this study suggest lead-induced pathophysiological alterations in myometrium, which in turn may affect the reproductive efficiency of animals.
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