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Effects of oral administration of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on reproductive parameters in male Wistar rats

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Abstract

The 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is used worldwide in agriculture as a selective herbicide. It has been shown to produce a wide range of adverse effects on the health of both animals and humans from embryotoxicity and teratogenicity to neurotoxicity. In the present study, we have examined the effect of 2,4-D on male reproductive function of rats. Male Wistar rats received daily by force-feeding 100 or 200 mg of 2,4-D/kg body weight for 30 consecutive days. Rats exposed to 100 and 200 mg of 2,4-D/kg showed a significant decrease in body weights only after 24 days of treatment and in relative weights of testis, seminal vesicles and prostate at killing day, when compared with controls. Moreover, a decrease in testosterone and an increase in FSH and LH serum levels were detected in treated rats. Besides, exposure to this herbicide induced pronounced testicular histological alterations with enlarged intracellular spaces, tissue loosening and dramatic loss of gametes in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. In addition, a decreased motility and a number of epididymal spermatozoa with an increased sperm abnormality rate were found in treated rats in comparison with control. With the highest dose, histological observations of seminal vesicles indicated a considerable decrease of secretions in the lumen, a thinness of the muscle layer surrounding the epithelium with branched mucosal crypts and reduced luminal space. In prostate, the heights of the cells decreased while acinar lumen were enlarged and they lost the typical invaginations. Our results suggest that a subacute treatment of 2,4-D promotes reproductive system toxicity.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Carthage University. The authors thank B. Azib for his excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, Carthage University, Bizerte, Jarzouna, Tunisia

    Neila Marouani, Olfa Tebourbi, Donia Cherif, Dorsaf Hallegue, Mohsen Sakly & Khemais Ben Rhouma

  2. Department of Anatomy and Pathological Cytology, Farhat Hached University Hospital, Sousse, Tunisia

    Mohamed Tahar Yacoubi

  3. Reproductive Medicine and Medical Cytogenetics Department, University Hospital, Amiens, France

    Moncef Benkhalifa

  4. School of Medicine, Picardie University Jules Verne, Amiens, France

    Moncef Benkhalifa

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  1. Neila Marouani
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  2. Olfa Tebourbi
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  4. Dorsaf Hallegue
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  5. Mohamed Tahar Yacoubi
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Correspondence to Khemais Ben Rhouma.

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Marouani, N., Tebourbi, O., Cherif, D. et al. Effects of oral administration of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on reproductive parameters in male Wistar rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 519–526 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7656-3

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