Biomaterial Database

Evaluation of spermatogenesis and sperm quality in the rat following acute inhalation exposure to methyl bromide. 1988

M E Hurtt, and P K Working

Department of Genetic Toxicology, Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709.

Methyl chloride (MeCl) and methyl bromide (MeBr) have similar target organ specificities in the male F-344 rat, and MeCl is a known reproductive toxicant in that species. Recently, both acute and subchronic inhalation exposures to MeBr were found to produce varying degrees of testicular alteration (S.L. Eustis, S.B. Haber, R.T. Drew, and R.S.H. Yang, 1986, Toxicologist, 6, 54; N. Kato, S. Morinobu, and S. Ishizu, 1986, Ind. Health, 24, 87-103; M.E. Hurtt, K.T. Morgan, and P.K. Working, 1987, Fundam. Appl. Toxicol., 9, 352-365). The present study examined the reproductive effects of MeBr in the male F-344 rat. Adult males (11-13 weeks) were exposed by inhalation to 0 or 200 ppm MeBr 6 hr/day for 5 days (first day of exposure = Day 1). Ten animals from each group were anesthetized with pentobarbital and terminated on Days 1, 3, 5, and 8. Additionally, five males from each group were killed on Days 6, 10, 17, 24, 38, 52, and 73. Plasma testosterone concentration was reduced during and immediately following exposure (Days 1, 3, 5, and 6), but returned to control levels by Day 8. Nonprotein sulfhydryl (NPSH) content of the liver and testis was reduced during exposure but returned to control levels by Day 8 (3 days postexposure). No other reproductive indices, including testis weight, daily sperm production, cauda epididymal sperm count, sperm morphology, percentage motile sperm, linear sperm velocity, and epididymal and testicular histology, were affected by MeBr exposure at any time point examined. Thus, although MeBr causes a transient decrease in plasma testosterone and testicular NPSH concentrations during acute exposure, it has no lasting effect on sperm quality or spermatogenesis in the F-344 rat.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D011916	Rats, Inbred F344	An inbred strain of rat that is used for general BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH purposes.	Fischer Rats,Rats, Inbred CDF,Rats, Inbred Fischer 344,Rats, F344,Rats, Inbred Fisher 344,CDF Rat, Inbred,CDF Rats, Inbred,F344 Rat,F344 Rat, Inbred,F344 Rats,F344 Rats, Inbred,Inbred CDF Rat,Inbred CDF Rats,Inbred F344 Rat,Inbred F344 Rats,Rat, F344,Rat, Inbred CDF,Rat, Inbred F344,Rats, Fischer
D001835	Body Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Body Weights,Weight, Body,Weights, Body
D004822	Epididymis	The convoluted cordlike structure attached to the posterior of the TESTIS. Epididymis consists of the head (caput), the body (corpus), and the tail (cauda). A network of ducts leaving the testis joins into a common epididymal tubule proper which provides the transport, storage, and maturation of SPERMATOZOA.
D006842	Hydrocarbons, Brominated	Hydrocarbon compounds with one or more HYDROGEN atoms substituted with BROMINE.	Brominated Hydrocarbons
D000280	Administration, Inhalation	The administration of drugs by the respiratory route. It includes insufflation into the respiratory tract.	Drug Administration, Inhalation,Drug Administration, Respiratory,Drug Aerosol Therapy,Inhalation Drug Administration,Inhalation of Drugs,Respiratory Drug Administration,Aerosol Drug Therapy,Aerosol Therapy, Drug,Drug Therapy, Aerosol,Inhalation Administration,Administration, Inhalation Drug,Administration, Respiratory Drug,Therapy, Aerosol Drug,Therapy, Drug Aerosol
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013091	Spermatogenesis	The process of germ cell development in the male from the primordial germ cells, through SPERMATOGONIA; SPERMATOCYTES; SPERMATIDS; to the mature haploid SPERMATOZOA.	Spermatocytogenesis,Spermiogenesis
D013094	Spermatozoa	Mature male germ cells derived from SPERMATIDS. As spermatids move toward the lumen of the SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES, they undergo extensive structural changes including the loss of cytoplasm, condensation of CHROMATIN into the SPERM HEAD, formation of the ACROSOME cap, the SPERM MIDPIECE and the SPERM TAIL that provides motility.	Sperm,Spermatozoon,X-Bearing Sperm,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperm,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperm,Sperm, X-Bearing,Sperm, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Bearing,Sperm, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, X-Bearing,Sperms, X-Chromosome-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Bearing,Sperms, Y-Chromosome-Bearing,X Bearing Sperm,X Chromosome Bearing Sperm,X-Bearing Sperms,X-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms,Y Bearing Sperm,Y Chromosome Bearing Sperm,Y-Bearing Sperms,Y-Chromosome-Bearing Sperms