RESUMEN
Lead is the oldest environmental contaminant, which is a known abortifacient and spermicidal agent in case of high exposure. The present experimental animal study is designed to observe the changes in the testes due to excessive use of lead. Distilled water and lead acetate were administered intraperitonially to control and experimental groups respectively. Animals were sacrificed; their testes were weighed and cut into small pieces. After observing plucking and stringing phenomena of the seminiferous tubules testicular pieces were embedded in paraffin and then 5 micro m thick sections were made, stained with PAS-sulfurous acid haematoxylin and examined microscopically for qualitative assessment of germinal epithelium. In the rats of group B mean weight and average tissue ratio of the paired testes was 1.145 gm and 0.0036 respectively, which are significantly less than control. There was decrease in diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickening of basement membrane and an early arrest of spermatogenesis, scanty Leydig cells, prominent sertoli cells and collapsed blood vessels, showing generalized atrophy of the testes. In lead toxicity, testes are atrophied due to degeneration of spermatogenic and Leydig cells