[Influence of nitrates on reproduction in domestic mammals]

Nitrates and nitrites ingestion has been linked to adverse effects on reproductive efficiency, on the one hand by abortion in acute or subacute toxicity, on the other hand by impairment of fertility in chronic exposition. However, experimental studies show heterogeneous results and proposed mechanisms are still hypothetic. Experimental studies realised in rabbit in National Veterinary School of Nantes are presented. No detrimental effect on reproduction performances was seen in female rabbits given nitrate in the drinking water at levels of 250 or 500 mg/l during 22 weeks, but a decrease in retinol concentration in the liver of young rabbits born of exposed mother, and drinking themselves water with nitrate during 5 weeks, was observed.