Effects of propoxur on the reproductive system of male rats.

The reproductive toxicity of propoxur (2-isopropoxy-phenyl-N-methylcarbamate), a carbamate pesticide, was investigated in adult male Wistar rats exposed to 0, 1.73, 2.6, and 5.2 mg/kg body weight/day for 90 successive days. Results obtained from this study showed a significant (p < 0.05) concentration-dependent increase in food consumption, relative weights of testis, epididymis and kidneys with maximum effects observed at the highest dose of propoxur (5.2 mg/kg) compared to the control. On the contrary, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the body weight gain, sperm density, serum and intratesticular total cholesterol concentrations, and intratesticular total proteins in rats treated with propoxur at the dose of 5.2 mg/kg body weight. Propoxur had no significant effect on gestation, fertility and parturition indices, average birth weight, litter size and pups sex ratio of untreated female rats mated with treated males rats. These results suggested that propoxur increased food consumption, relative weight of reproductive and detoxication organs, decreased body weight gain and sperm density per gram of cauda epididymis without affecting the reproductive performances.