RESUMEN
Eighty mature rats were used to study the toxic effects of nickel chloride on the male fertility. They were given 500 ppm nickel chloride hexahydrate in drinking water for eight weeks. Sperm, serum and tissue samples for tests and accessory glands were taken for spermatozoal examination, hormonal and enzymatic assay and histopathological study, respectively. The results revealed significant decrease of sperm motility, concentration and live sperm while abnormalities of sperm were significantly increased. Determination of FSH, LH and testosterone showed insignificant changes in FSH concentration, while LH was markedly decreased till the middle of study, then significantly increased at the end of experiment. Testosterone hormone, contrary to LH, was significantly increased till the 4th week of experiment followed by marked decrease in concentration at the end of the investigation. Prostatic acid phosphatase enzyme in serum of treated rats were significantly increased throughout the experiment. Histopathological examination revealed degeneration and necrosis in testes, seminal vesiculitis and hyperplasia of prostatic acini