The Reproductive Effects in Rats after Chronic Oral Exposure to Low-dose Depleted Uranium

Yuhui HAO; Rong LI; Yanbing LENG; Jiong REN; Jing LIU; Guoping AI; Hui XU; Yongping SU; Tianmin CHENG

doi:10.1269/jrr.11192

Biology

The Reproductive Effects in Rats after Chronic Oral Exposure to Low-dose Depleted Uranium

Yuhui HAO, Rong LI, Yanbing LENG, Jiong REN, Jing LIU, Guoping AI, Hui XU, Yongping SU, Tianmin CHENG

Author information

Yuhui HAO
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Rong LI
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Yanbing LENG
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Jiong REN
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Jing LIU
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Guoping AI
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Hui XU
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Yongping SU
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University
Tianmin CHENG
State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Institute of Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University

Keywords: Depleted uranium, Ingestion, Reproductive effects, Radioimmunoassay

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2012 Volume 53 Issue 3 Pages 377-384

DOI https://doi.org/10.1269/jrr.11192

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Abstract

This two-generation study evaluated the effects of depleted uranium (DU) on reproduction in rats. Across two generations, Wistar rats (30/sex/group) were maintained on feed containing DU at dose levels of 0 (control group), 4 (DU₄ group), or 40 (DU₄₀ group) mg kg^–1 day^–1 for 4 months prior to mating. After 4 months of exposure, the pregnancy rate, normal labour rate, and survival rate of offspring produced by F₁ rats were all significantly decreased as compared to the control group, and especially in the DU₄₀ group, these parameters fell by half to two-thirds, while no adverse effects were evident in F₀ rats. The uranium content in the testes and ovaries of F₁ rats in the DU₄ and DU₄₀ groups was significantly higher than that found in F₀ rats. The levels of sex hormone in the serum were disorder in both generations. The enzymes related to spermiogenesis were also significantly different between generations, and the damage was more severe in F₁ rats. In conclusion, the reproductive effects in F₀ rats were slight after chronic oral exposure to DU, while the effects were obvious in F₁ rats.

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