Influence of Chronic Exposure to Uranium on Male Reproduction in Mice

Influence of Chronic Exposure to Uranium on Male Reproductionin Mice. Llobet, J. M., Sirvent, J. J., Ortega, A., and Domingo,J. L. (1991). Fundam Appl. Toxicol. 16, 821–829. Relativelyfew data are available concerning the reproductive and developmentaltoxicity of uranium. The present study was designed to evaluatethe reproductive effects of this metal in male Swiss mice. Theanimals were treated with uranyl acetate dihydrate at dosesof 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg/day given in the drinking waterfor 64 days. To evaluate the fertility of the uraniumtreatedmales, mice were mated with untreated females for 4 days. Therewas a significant but non-dose-related decrease in the pregnancyrate of these animals. Body weights were significantly depressedonly in the 80 mg/kg/day group. Testicular function/spermatogenesiswas not affected by uranium at any dose, as evidenced by normaltestes and epididymis weights and normal spermatogenesis, whereasinterstitial alterations and vacuolization of Leydig cells wereseen at 80 mg/kg/day. The results of this investigation indicatethat uranium does not cause any adverse effect on testicularfunction in mice at the concentrations usually ingested in thediet and drinking water, with a safety factor of more than 1000.However, although spermatogenesis was not affected by uraniumadministration, uranium produces a significant decrease in thepregnancy rate at 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg/day.