Effects of arsenic, vitamin E and C on reproductive functions of teddy bucks

Abstract

Arsenic pollution has become a major issue throughout the world. The present environmental study was conducted to investigate the toxic effects of arsenic on reproductive functions of Teddy bucks, and to examine whether these toxic effects are ameliorated by vitamins E and C. For this purpose, 24 adult Teddy bucks were randomly divided into six treatment groups viz; A (control), B (sodium arsenite), C (sodium arsenite + vit E), D (vit E), E (sodium arsenite + vit C) and F (vit C), with four animals in each group. Sodium arsenite was used at dose of 5 mg/kg BW/day, whereas, vit E and C were used at dose of 200 mg/kg BW/day each. These treatments continued for 12 weeks. Semen of experimental bucks of each group was evaluated on weekly basis, while testicular measurements were recorded at 0 and 12th week of experiment. Hematological variables, serum concentrations of male sex hormones (testosterone, LH, FSH) and cortisol were recorded fortnightly. Similarly, body weights of bucks and serum biochemical constituents (ALT, AST, total proteins, total cholesterol, glucose, creatinine and albumin) were also measured fortnightly until completion of the study. Arsenic contents in feces, urine and blood were recorded at the interval of two weeks through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. At the end of the study, animals were slaughtered; testes, liver and kidneys were processed for the histopathological study, as well as for the estimation of arsenic contents. The data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance, followed by Duncan test for multiple mean comparisons. There was significant reduction (P<0.05) in body weights, semen quality parameters, male sex hormones and testicular measurements in arsenic treated animals as compared to control. Likewise, hematological variables and serum biochemical constituents were adversely affected (P<0.05) in arsenic treated animals. Co-administration of vitamin E and C with sodium arsenite ameliorated these toxic effects of arsenic on body weights, testicular measurements, semen quality parameters, serum concentrations of male sex hormones and biochemical constituents. Supplementation of vitamin E or C alone also improved the semen quality parameters, hematology variables, body weights, testicular size and serum levels of sex hormones. However, these vitamins had non-significant (P>0.05) effects on serum biochemical constituents. There was significant increase (P<0.05) in arsenic contents in blood, urine, feces and in internal organs of bucks treated with arsenic. The major histopthological changes in testes of arsenic treated bucks were loss of germinal epithelium with vaccoulations. Similarly, parenchyma of liver and kidneys of arsenic treated Teddy bucks showed pyknosis and cellular infiltrations, whereas administration of vitamins E and C with sodium arsenite eliminated the toxic effects of sodium arsenite on the urine, feces, blood, testes, liver and kidneys. It was concluded that sodium arsenite induced toxic effects in the testes of teddy bucks and adversely affected semen quality and male sex hormones levels. It also adversely affected blood characteristics and serum biochemical parameters. However, feeding of vitamin E and C ameliorated these toxic effects of arsenic on semen quality, blood and serum biochemical constituents. The morphology of parenchymal tissues of testes, liver and kidneys, which was damaged due to arsenic treatment, was also restored by these vitamins.