Dietary chromium deficiency effect on sperm count and fertility in rats.

Male rats raised on a low chromium diet containing less than 100 ppb chromium had decreased sperm counts and decreased fertility at age 8 months compared to the Cr-supplemented controls. Decreased sperm cell production and fertility were not apparent at age 4 months. At age 7-8 months the frequency of conception was 25 percent or less and the sperm count of the low chromium males was approximately 50 percent of that of the Cr-supplemented rats.