Effects of molybdenum on sperm quality and testis oxidative stress

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Photomicrographs of the commonly observed abnormal sperms from the 100 mg/L molybdenum dose group. A) normal morphology; B) big head (arrow heading); C) pin head; D) no tail attached; E) without the main section; F) without characteristic curvature; G) two main sections; H) rolled into a spiral; and I) no head attached.

Table 1. Effects of molybdenum treatments on sperm parameters in mice.

Mo treatments (mg/L)	Epididymis Index*×10^−3	Motility (%)	Concentration (×10^6/mL)	Abnormality rate** (%, n≥200)
0 (Control)	2.37±0.06	62.82±0.03	5.01±0.08	28.23±1.79
12.5	2.53±0.08	67.18±0.08	5.90±0.03	24.21±0.87
25	2.70±0.05^b	76.44±0.02^b	6.98±0.11^b	18.08±1.77^b
50	2.20±0.07	55.31±0.13	4.35±0.02	29.60±3.47
100	2.00±0.11^b	49.60±0.05^a	3.93±0.05^a	37.23±1.69^b
200	1.97±0.08^b	39.56±0.04^b	3.68±0.02^a	49.01±4.43^b

Mo: molybdenum; data represent means±SD; compared with the control group, ^aP<0.05; ^bP<0.01; *Epididymis index: epididymis weight/body weight; **Abnormality rate: (no. sperm with abnormal morphology/ no. total spermatozoa)×100

Table 2. Effects of molybdenum treatments on the SOD, GPx, and MDA levels of testes in mice.

Mo treatments (mg/L)	SOD activities (U/mg prot)	GPx activities (U/mg prot)	MDA contents (nM/mg prot)
0 (Control)	221.49 ± 4.43	36.32 ± 0.31	0.9952 ± 0.0178
12.5	225.85 ± 4.07	42.52 ± 1.39^b	0.9862 ± 0.0207
25	276.24 ± 4.14^b	44.41 ± 1.95^b	0.9594 ± 0.0232
50	205.53 ± 3.59	33.41 ± 1.10^a	1.2273 ± 0.0245
100	190.20 ± 3.19^a	32.17 ± 0.61^b	1.3508 ± 0.0270^a
200	178.04 ± 3.52^a	31.06 ± 0.21^b	1.6129 ± 0.0540^b

Mo: molybdenum; SOD: superoxide dismutase; GPx: glutathione peroxidase; MDA: malondialdehyde; data represent means ± SD; compared with the control group, ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01