Absence of an effect of lead acetate on sperm morphology, sister chromatid exchanges or on micronuclei formation in rabbits.

The influence of lead on sperm morphology, sister chromatid exchanges or on micronuclei formation was studied on male rabbits after exposure to doses of 0, 0.25, and 0.50 mg lead acetate/kg body weight subcutaneously injected three times a week during 14 weeks, each on a group of five rabbits. At the end of exposure phase the lead in blood concentrations of the three groups of rabbits were 0.32, 2.57, and 2.97 mumol/l respectively. The results did not show any evidence of treatment related effects on sperm count or on morphologic abnormalities of the sperms, neither on the histopathology of the testis. Statistical analysis of the number of sister chromatid exchanges per metaphase in lymphocytes indicated no differences between the groups. Also no dose dependent effect was observed on the relative number of micronuclei in bone marrow erythrocytes. The different susceptibility to lead in different organ systems of the rabbits was discussed.