A study on the toxicity of chlorpyrifos on male and female reproductive functions in animal models an environmental physiological approach

Abstract

In modern agriculture, agrochemicals like pesticide plays an important role in food grain production. The use of newlineorganochlorine pesticide was banned in 1970. After that organophosphorous pesticide such as chlorpyrifos (CPF, newline[O, O-diethyl O-3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate]) have become widely used in crop fields more than newline50 years to reduce pest induced crop loss. Chlorpyrifos is registered in India under the Insecticide Act, 1968 for newlinethe use in agriculture and as well as termicides to control termites in house and forest. It has been reported that newlineCPF induces oxidative stress, inhibits the activity of AChE, promotes reproductive and developmental newlineneurotoxicity, degeneration of dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons (Kalender et al., 2012; Slotkin et al., 2006; newlineWhitney et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2012; Birnbaum et al., 2012; Farag et al., 2003; Flaskos et al., 2012). The newlinereproductive effects of CPF in mammalian animals have been reported discretely. Considering the toxic effects newlineof CPF on the functions of several reproductive organs, it was predicted that CPF might exert harmful effects on newlinemale and female reproductive function. The toxic effects of CPF on the different female and male infertility newlineparameters have not been reported till date. Therefore, the objective of the study was to examine the probable newlineeffects of CPF on male and female reproductive functions and to understand the physiological mechanism newlineinvolving CPF induced impairment of male and female reproductive functions in rat model. The thesis was also newlineaim to study the protective actions of some herbal medicines (garlic extract and ascorbic acid) in preventing CPF newlineinduced male and female reproductive impairment in vitro rats.