Abstract
The nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and total protein concentration in testes were estimated in male Wistar strain rats treated intraperitorally with nickel sulfate (2.0 mg/100 g body weight) on alternate days for 10 dosages. In both normal (18% casein) and protein-restricted (5% casein) experimental animals, the nucleic acids and total protein concentration were found to decrease significantly compared to the corresponding controls. Sperm count and sperm motility were also reduced in both experimental groups of animals. The results indicate that nickel influences the expression of genetic information by reducing testicular nucleic acids and protein concentration in both dietary experimental groups.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
F. H. Nielsen, T. R. Shuler, T. G. Mcleod, and T. J. Zimmerman, Nickel influence iron metabolisam through physiologic, pharmacologic, and toxicologic mechanism in the rat, J. Nutr. 114, 1280–1288 (1984).
F. H. Nielsen, Advances in Modern Toxicology, Volume 2, 3rd ed., Hemisphere, Washington, DC, pp. 129–146 (1977).
D. B. Louria, M. M. Joselow, and A. A. Browder, The human toxicity of certain trace elements, Ann. Intern. Med. 79, 309 (1972).
S. S. Pathak and V. N. Patwardhan, Toxicity of nickel, J. Sci. Ind. Res. 9, 70–76 (1950).
C. Onkelinx, J. Becker, and F. W. Sunderman, Jr. Compartmental analysis of the metabolism of Ni(II) in rats and rabbits. Res. Commun. Chem. Pathol. Pharmacol. 6, 663 (1973).
E. J. Underwood, Trace Elements in Human and Animal Nutrition, 4th ed., Academic, New York (1977).
A. C. Hogetvelt, R. T. Barton and I. Anderson, Variations of nickel in plasma and urine during the work period, J. Occup. Med. 22, 597–600 (1980).
S. Dasgupta, S. Ghosh, and K. K. Das, Transminase activities in some metabolically active tissues of nickel treated rats under protein restricted condition, Ind. J. Physiol. Allied Sci. 50(1), 27–33 (1996).
V. Murray, Current Approaches to Occupational Health, Volume 3, A Ward Gardner, ed., PSG Wright, Bristol, UK, p. 171 (1987).
E. Bordee and V. V. Papillian, Myocardial change induced by nickel and in association with cadmium, Rev. Ig. Bacteriol. Virusal Parazital. Epidemiol. Pneumotizol. 32, 51–56 (1983).
A. Makler, The improved ten micrometer chamber for rapid sperm count and motility evaluation, Fertil. Steril. 33, 337 (1980).
K. Burton, A study of the conditions and mechanism of diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid, Biochem. J. 62, 315–323 (1956).
H. N. Munro and A. Fleck, Recent development in the measurement of nucleic acids in biological materials. Analyst 91, 78–88 (1966).
O. H. Lowry, N. J. Rosebrough, A. L. Farr, and R. S. Randall, Estimation of protein by using folin-phenol reagent, J. Biol. Chem. 193, 267–275 (1951).
R. G. D. Steel and J. H. Torrie, Principles and Procedures of Statistics, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp. 99–131 (1960).
K. K. Das and S. Dasgupta, Alteration of testicular biochemistry during protein restriction in nickel treated rats, Biol. Trace Element Res. 60(3), 243 (1997).
S. N. Sharma, V. P. Kamboi, and A. B. Kar, Calcification of the rat testes after local administration of formaldehyde, Exp. Pathol. (Jena) 4, 309–316 (1970).
Nickel, in Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, Volume 2, 2nd ed., Health Criteria and Other Supporting Informations, WHO, Geneva, pp. 308–313 (1996).
W. Bal, Mediation of oxidative DNA damage by nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with the N-terminal sequence of human protamine HP2, Chem. Res. Toxicol. 10(8), 915–921 (1997).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Das, K.K., Dasgupta, S. Effect of nickel on testicular nucleic acid concentrations of rats on protein restriction. Biol Trace Elem Res 73, 175–180 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:73:2:175
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/BTER:73:2:175