AE Nantia

ABSTRACT

Background: Chlorpyriphos-ethyl (CE) is an organophosphate insecticide largely used in our communities for crop protection and hygienic purposes and limited data is available on its toxicity after prenatal exposure. In this study the effects CE were evaluated on the fertility in male rats exposed prenatally to the pesticide. Methods: Four groups of primiparous pregnant rats were orally given every two days a dose of CE (0.00, 3.50, 4.25 or 10.50 mg.kg-1 of body weight) for the whole gestational period. After delivery, male offspring were bred for 4 months without treatment and fifteen days to the end, each male was housed with 2 females for the fertility test. At the end of the experimental period, animals were weighed and then sacrificed and reproductive organs collected. The right cauda epididymis was used for the evaluation of sperm motility and concentration while the testis was submitted to histopathology analysis.