EFFECT OF LEAD ACETATE ON SPERM MORPHOLOGY AND TESTIS OF WISTAR ALBINO RATS

In the present study different doses of lead acetate was used to know the effect on testis, sperm count, sperm morphology in different experimental groups. 108 male wistar rats were divided into three equal groups (I, II &III) i.e. each group contains 36 rats. Group I kept as control. Group II & III rats were orally administered lead acetate @ 60 mgs & 30mgs /kg. bwt / 3 days in a week for 90 days. Every fortnight from each group rats were sacrificed with anesthetic ether and epididymis collected for sperm count, testes for measurement of testicular weight and pieces of testis fixed in Bovin’s fixative for histopathological and histochemical studies. The study revealed that lead acetate caused a dose dependant reduction in sperm count, testicular weight, and abnormal sperm count was increased significantly when compared to control. Hisopathologically testis shows necrosis of seminiferous tubules. Complete separation and disappearance of seminiferous tubular epithelium. Lead also caused reduction in testicular alkaline phosphatase activity.