[Sexual function of male rats exposed to the factors of the Chernobyl exclusion zone]

The influence of chronic internal and external irradiation in low doses on sexual behavior and fertility of sexual active animals keeping within the 30-km Chernobyl exclusion zone was studied. After the 1.5 month consumption of drinking water containing radionuclides of natural Chernobyl spectrum the decrease in proportion of sexual active animals and suppression of sexual motivation and erection were observed. This deviations resulted in the reducing of the inseminated females number. The dependence between the magnitude of total absorbed dose and the working of the sexual behavior regulative mechanisms was obtained. In addition, the reduction of rat fertility took place because of the increase of preimplantation, but not post-implantation death in in irradiated females coupled with irradiated males. The irradiation of males with total absorbed dose on testis 0.23 cGy decreased the fertility because of sexual behavior disturbance, and this effect was intensified by negative influence of ionizing radiation in the range of 0.7-7.0 cGy on male gametes.