Long-term Developmental Effects of Lactational Exposure to Lead Acetate on Ovary in Offspring Wistar Rats

BACKGROUND: During the last decades, environmental contamination by lead generated from human activities has become an evident concern. The present study assessed the long-term effects of neonatal exposure to different doses of lead acetate on the ovaries of offspring rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pregnant female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control and three experimental groups. The experimental groups received 20, 100 and 300 mg/L/day lead acetate via drinking water during lactation. Ovaries of the offspring were removed at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days of age, their weights recorded and fixed in Bouin’s solution. Following tissue processing, 5 μm serial sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and then, the numbers and diameters of ovarian follicles and corpora lutea were estimated. RESULTS: Ovary weights decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the 300 mg/L/day dose groups at 30, 60 and 90 days postnatal development. Significant dose-related decreases were seen in the numbers of primary, secondary and antral follicles in 100 (p<0.05) and 300 mg/L/day doses groups at 30 and 60 days of age (p<0.01). There was significant decrease in mean number of corpora lutea in the 100 (p<0.05) and 300 (p<0.01) mg/L/day dose groups at 60 days of age. It seems that neonatal lead treatment has transient effects on follicular development in the ovary of offspring and ovarian parameters gradually improve until 90 days of age. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that maternal lead acetate exposure affects prepubertal ovarian follicle development in a dose dependent manner, but ovarian parameters gradually improve during the postpubertal period.