Effects of Beta Cypermethrin Exposure on Male F1 Generation of Albino Rats during Perinatal Development

Cypermethrin, a type II pyrethroid, widely used for pest management causes environmental pollution and health hazards. Previous studies have shown that cypermethrin has teratogenic effect on rat foeti born to exposed dam or buck with no information on its effect on their reproductive parameters when assessed at maturity. The present study was therefore carried out to evaluate the reproductive effect of perinatal beta cypermethrin (β-cyp) exposure on male F1 generation albino rat. Fifteen pregnant animals (Day 0 = day of mating, average body-weight = 190 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group I (Control) received 0.5ml olive oil, Group II(15 mg/kg β-cyp) and Group III (30 mg/kg β-cyp) by oral gavage from gestational day (GD) 1 – post natal day (PND) 20. On PND 21, the pups were weaned and bred to 12 weeks of age (maturity). At maturity, 5 males were randomly taken from each group. The animals were anaesthetized, testes were collected for histopathological study and caudal epididymides used for determination of sperm characteristics. Blood was collected for hormonal assay (testosterone) using Enzyme Immunoassay. Histopathological study of the testes was conducted. β-cyp had a dose-dependent non-significant decrease (p>0.05) on mean testicular and body weights, testosterone level and sperm count relative to the control. β-cyp had no significant effect (p>0.05) on sperm cell characteristics. No abnormality was observed in the testicular sections of exposed F1 generation rats. It is therefore concluded that reproductive effect of perinatal β-cyp exposure of male F1 generation rats assessed at maturity is not significant. However, the dose-dependent decrease in the male reproductive parameters recorded in this study suggests that β-cyp, can impair spermatogenesis in male offspring exposed during the perinatal period.