Endosulfan-Induced Changes in Sperm Count, Testicular Weight and Some Erythrocyte Indices in Male Guinea Pigs

Endosulfan, an organochlorine pesticide, is a broad spectrum contact insecticide widely used in pest control. It is used in a wide range of crops including cereals, coffee, cotton, fruit, oil seeds, potato, tea and vegetables. There is a global concern over the acute toxicity of endosulfan particularly on male reproductive system. The present study was carried out to investigate the acute effects of endosulfan on sperm count, testicular weight and some erythrocyte indices on male guinea pigs. To accomplish this, sixteen adult male pigs were grouped into four groups of four animals each. Group I served as the control and was administerd with 1 mL/kg b w of distilled water, Group II received 2.5 mg/kg b w, while Group III received 5 mg/kg b w and Group IV was administered with 10 mg/kg b w of endosulfan orally spanning the period of 14 days. The results of the present study showed a significantly (p<0.05) decreased sperm count in all groups treated with graded doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg b w of endosulfan, with significantly (p<0.01) higher depleted sperm count observed in the group administered 10 mg/kg b w of endosulfan when compared to control group. There were also significantly (p<0.05) reduced testicular weight, with a higher significant (p<0.01) reduction in testicular weight recorded in the group administered 5 and 10 mg/kg b w of endosulfan when compared to control group, respectively. However, the hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value in all treated groups were not significantly (p>0.05) different, except for the group that received 10 mg/kg bw which showed a significantly (p<0.05) decreased hematocrit value when compared to the control group. The present research study have demonstrated that acute exposure to endosulfan may lead to spermatogenic effects as evidenced by decreased sperm count and testicular weight in the experiment animals as well as decreased hematocrit values of experimental animals and may also be extrapolated to humans.