Concurrent Lead and Noise Exposure Effects on Testicular Tissue of Rat: An Experimental Study

Objective: Environmental stressors such as physical and chemical factors can have a destructive testicular function. The present study aimed to determine the effect of concomitant exposure to lead and noise on testicular tissue in male rats. Materials and methods : Twenty male Wistar rats (250-300 g, 12-13wk) were divided into four groups (n=5/each): 1) Control group, 2) Lead group treated with 4 mg/kg lead acetate by gavage for 30 days, 3) Noise group exposed to 4 kHz octave band at 105 dBA for eight hrs./ day for 30 days, and 4) the exposed group to lead plus noise concurrently. The testes' weight was measured, and testes abnormalities were assessed after staining with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Results: The results showed that the weight of testes in experimental groups was significantly decreased compared with the control group (p<0.0001). Also indicated edema, degeneration and necrotic cell debris in the lumen, congestion and atrophy of seminiferous tubule in rat testes tissue due to sub-acute exposure to lead and noise. Conclusion: Exposure to 105 dB and lead can cause damage to the seminiferous tubules, intubation edema, and testicular weight loss compared to control. We also found that simultaneous exposure to noise and lead could have more detrimental effects on testicular histology and weight than others.