Assessment of the male reproductive system in the preweanling rat following Mn₃O₄ exposure

Abstract

Long‐Evans rat pups were dosed orally from birth to 21 d with particulate Mn₃O₄ to obtain a daily dose of 0, 71, or 214 μg Mn/body weight · d. Assessments of the hypothalamic, pituitary, or testicular functions were determined by measuring the endogenous or stimulated serum concentrations of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and/or testosterone (T) at 21 or 28 d of age. Body, testes, and seminal vesicles weight and tissue concentrations of Mn were also evaluated. Only slight Mn treatment effects were seen in body and testes weights. No effects were seen either on unstimulated or stimulated FSH or LH serum concentrations. Although no Mn treatment effects were seen on endogenous or 2 h human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulate serum T concentrations, there was a reduction in the serum T following 7 d of hCG stimulation. The hypothalamic Mn concentrations in animals with these reproductive effects were three times those where alterations in the dopaminergic pathway have been reported. However, no indication of hypothalamic or pituitary malfunction was found. These results suggest that the site of Mn damage that causes depression of sustained serum T concentration is in the testicular Leydig cell.