Impact of azoxystrobin exposure on sperm morphology, antioxidant defense, reproductive hormones, and testicular histopathology in mice

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effects of azoxystrobin on sperm quality, hormone levels and testicular structure in Swiss albino mice.

Methods: 48 Swiss albino male mice were divided into 7 groups containing 6 mice in each group except Group VII in which 12 mice were taken. Group I served as the control group and treated with vehicle (distil water for 30 and 60 days). Azoxystrobin at three different doses (125, 250, 500 mg/kg body weight) was orally administered to Group II, III and IV for 30 days and Group V, VI and VI for 60 days. After dose completion, sperm parameters, hormonal profile and testis histology were analysed. Half animals of group VII (500 mg/kg body weight) were left untreated for next 30 days to assess the recovery from reproductive toxicity.

Results: At azoxystrobin 125 and 250 mg/kg, sperm viability, count, and motility remained largely unaffected, but a significant decline was observed at azoxystrobin 500 mg/kg after 30 days. After 60 days, all dose levels led to a significant decrease in sperm parameters. Morphological abnormalities in sperm, such as globular heads, bent or coiled tails, and headless or tailless sperm, were noted to be increased in a dose dependent manner. Antioxidant parameters, serum level of reproductive hormones and steroidogenic enzymes followed a similar trend with non-significant changes at low and medium doses but a marked decline at the high dose after both 30 and 60 days of exposure. Histopathology of testis also revealed degenerative changes in seminiferous tubules and Leydig cell.

Conclusions: Azoxystrobin exposure at high dose (500 mg/kg) affects sperm quality and disrupts testicular function via potentially impairing antioxidant defences, deregulating steroidogenesis in Swiss albino male mice.

Keywords

Azoxystrobin / Testis / Male / Mice / Sperm / Testicular structure / Reproductive toxicity

Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgements

Authors are highly acknowledged to WISE-KIRAN division of Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi, India for providing infrastructural financial support to IIS (deemed to be university), Jaipur, India (File No. DST/CURIE-02/2023/IISU) under CURIE program.

Funding

The research was conducted without any financial support from external funding agency.

Authors’ contributions

Rathore Harkesh contributed to writing original draft, methodology, and formal analysis; Pandey Geeta contributed to writing original draft, review, editing, supervision, and conceptualization.

Publisher’ s Note

The Publisher of the Journal remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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