IMPACT OF METHYL PARATHON TOXCITY ON TESTICULAR HORMONAL PROFILE OF MALE ALBINO MICE
SUMAN SHARMA *
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, PUNJABI UNIVERSITY PATIALA-147 002, INDIA.
KOMALIJIT KAUR *
DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY, PUNJABI UNIVERSITY PATIALA-147 002, INDIA.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Pesticides include all xenobiotics which are used to kill another form of life, including insects (insecticides), small rodents (Rodenticides), or even vegetation (Herbicides). Organophosphate insecticides represent a group of pesticides that is widely used and has been shown to have toxic effects in humans and animals. Methyl parathion is an organophosphate pesticide used in agriculture although quite often illegally used indoors to control insects. In this present study, we have sought to investigate the toxic effects of methyl parathion on hormonal profile i.e. FSH, LH and testosterone in male albino mice. Animals were divided into three groups of six animals each. Group I animals were administered distilled water and served as control group. Group II and III animals were treated with acute doses of 1 mg/kg body weight and 3 mg/kg body weight of methyl parathion intraperitoneally. Control and treated animals were sacrificed on 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post treatment. A marked statistically significant reduction in serum level of testosterone in methyl parathion exposed mice were noticed from 1" interval of autopsy to last interval in I comparison to control animals and also between treated groups. Whereas, a statistically significant increase in levels of FSH and LH were observed in MP treated groups as compared to control groups till the end of the experiment. Hence, the present study indicates that exposure to MP has a profound effect on functioning of testes and imbalance in hormonal profile affecting the circulating concentrations of gonadotropins and testosterone leading to reduced fertility in mice.
Keywords: Albino mice, methyl parathion, testosterone, FSH, LH