Use of Sperm Enzymes to Detect Genotoxic Agents.
Abstract
The sperm enzyme test (SET) system consists of a series of histochemical assays that can be used to assess the functionality of sperm. The objective of this research was to determine the usefulness of the SET system in evaluation of germ cell damage which might be caused by a variety of chemicals. Mice were treated with several known mutagenic or teratogenic agents, or chemicals toxic to the reproductive system two and six weeks before collecting sperm. Sperm was stripped from the vas deferens and examined for count, motility, and the sperm enzymes, acrosin, hyaluronidase, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and alpha glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase (aGDH) activities. Groups of mice were treated through intraperitoneal (i.p.) or inhalation (i.h.) routes. Two weeks after treatment, the chemicals ethylnitrosourea (ENU), ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), hydroxyurea (HU), cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), perfluoro-n-decanoic acid (PFDA), ethylene dibromide (EDB), and benzene were found to be positive by the SET system. At six weeks, only ENU, HU and DMMP exposures caused enzyme changes e significantly different from controls, while only ENU and HU caused reduced testis weight, a conventional method of germ cell damage assessment. Two weeks after i.h. treatment, benzene and EDB were found to be positive for sperm enzyme changes, while at six weeks postexposure only DMMP was detected.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA142724
Entities
People
- B. M. Llewellyn
- G. Ficsor
- L. C. Ginsberg
- W. C. Keller
Organizations
- Western Michigan University