Dose and duration dependent cytotoxicity of aroclor 1254 in the testis of mice

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly lipophilic and stable compound. Aroclor 1254 commercial mixture of PCBs, which are usually given a four-digit number, of which the first two digits that refer to the number of carbon atoms attached to the biphenyl ring and the last two digits indicate the percentage of chlorine atoms[1]. Polychlorinated biphenyls are well known persistent organic pollutants, that present in the environmental and disrupting endocrine and reproductive functions in wild animals, experimental animals, and as well as in humans reproductive system still occur widely[2,3]. PCBs exposure induce the production of reactive oxygen species affects the lipid metabolism, endocrine function including reproductive dysregulation, immune system damage, nervous system disorders, skin disorders such as chloracne, and an array of sensory defects in aquatic organisms at many tropic levels as well as in both humans and wildlife[4-8]. In male reproductive dysregulation, it reduce weight of testis and accessory sex organs, decrease the cellular contents in the seminiferous tubules, disturbs the spermatogenesis, reduce the sperm counts in mammals[9-11]. In the human, the levels of PCBs have been inversely correlated to the increased testicular sperm counts that may possibly be associated with Sertoli cell changes[12]. Chronic PCBs exposure has also been associated with the histological alterations which are undoubtedly responsible for the depressed fertility in mice[13,14]. Therefore, the present study was to evaluate the low concentration, similar to the environmentally available concentration in the PCB polluted areas, and sub-acute dose and exposure duration dependent cytotoxicity of aroclor 1254 on the mouse testis.