<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of the exposure to low doses of lead, mercury and cadmium dissolved in drinking water (200× above maximal permissible dosage) on the reproductive potency of 200 Wistar rats (100 males and 100 females of F1 generation) and their progeny. Ten groups of rats were formed according to their exposure to heavy metals, including one control group without exposure. The females gave births between weeks 13 and 78 of the experiments. Reproduction parameters, such as number of litters, total number of newborns, number of newborns per litter, and number of weanlings were assessed weekly. The results demonstrated that the number of litters and newborns were higher after exposure to mercury and lower after exposure to lead. The number of weanlings and their share from newborns were the highest after exposure to cadmium and the lowest after exposure to mercury. A sex-specific effect of metals was related to the reproductive success.</p></abstract>

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of the exposure to low doses of lead, mercury and cadmium dissolved in drinking water (200× above maximal permissible dosage) on the reproductive potency of 200 Wistar rats (100 males and 100 females of F1 generation) and their progeny. Ten groups of rats were formed according to their exposure to heavy metals, including one control group without exposure. The females gave births between weeks 13 and 78 of the experiments. Reproduction parameters, such as number of litters, total number of newborns, number of newborns per litter, and number of weanlings were assessed weekly. The results demonstrated that the number of litters and newborns were higher after exposure to mercury and lower after exposure to lead. The number of weanlings and their share from newborns were the highest after exposure to cadmium and the lowest after exposure to mercury. A sex-specific effect of metals was related to the reproductive success.

Effect of Low-Dose Exposure to Toxic Heavy Metals on The Reproductive Health of Rats A Multigenerational Study

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine

Folia Veterinaria

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of the exposure to low doses of lead, mercury and cadmium dissolved in drinking water (200× above...

Effect of Low-Dose Exposure to Toxic Heavy Metals on The Reproductive Health of Rats A Multigenerational Study

Published Online: Apr 06, 2019

Page range: 64 - 71

Received: Jan 23, 2019

Accepted: Mar 14, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fv-2019-0010

Keywords
low-level exposure, heavy metals, rat, reproduction effect, reprotoxicity, several generations, sex-specific effect

© 2019 Doničová V. et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Effect of Low-Dose Exposure to Toxic Heavy Metals on The Reproductive Health of Rats A Multigenerational Study

Published Online: Apr 06, 2019

Page range: 64 - 71

Received: Jan 23, 2019

Accepted: Mar 14, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/fv-2019-0010

Keywordslow-level exposure, heavy metals, rat, reproduction effect, reprotoxicity, several generations, sex-specific effect

© 2019 Doničová V. et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
low-level exposure, heavy metals, rat, reproduction effect, reprotoxicity, several generations, sex-specific effect