P–060 Dose- dependent mitigation of lead acetate toxicity in males on embryo development in female mice
Authors: Dolati P , Zamiri M J , Akhlaghi A , Jahromi Z 
Published: August 2021

Study question

Does quercetin (75 or 100 mg/kg BW/day) co-administration with lead acetate to male mice affects embryonic development in female mice?

Summary answer

The low-dose quercetin (75 mg/kg BW/day) ameliorated the adverse effects of lead acetate on mouse embryogenesis.

What is known already

Lead causes male infertility by impacting on endocrine system and spermatogenesis, and may exert undesirable effects on the offspring. The currently approved treatment for lead poisoning is the use of chelating agents, which form an insoluble complex with lead and shield it from biological targets; thus, reducing its toxicity. One of the main mechanisms of lead-induced toxicity is oxidative stress, and it has been reported that natural antioxidants can reduce the heavy metals toxicity. The aim of the present study was to examine the protective effects of quercetin on the toxicity induced by lead acetate on the embryogenesis in mice.

Study design, size, duration

Sexually mature (eight-week-old) NMRI male mice (n = 24) were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6 per group) receiving (i) distilled water (control group); (ii) lead acetate (150 mg/kg BW/day) dissolved in deionized water (LA); (iii) lead acetate (150 mg/kg BW/day) + quercetin (75 mg/kg BW/day) (LQ75); (IV) lead acetate (150 mg/kg BW/day) + quercetin (100 mg/kg BW/day) (LQ100). Treatments were applied daily as oral gavages for one cycle of the seminiferous epithelium (35 days).

Participants/materials, setting, methods

At the end of treatment administration, the males were joined with super-ovulated females, and the retrieved zygotes were cultured for evaluation of the embryo development (at 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, and blastocyst stages), and blastocyst cell number using differential staining (propidium iodide and bisbenzimide). After incubation of capacitated sperm with oocytes, an ultraviolet light microscope was used following 3 min incubation with 25 µg⁄mL bisbenzamide solution for fertilization assessment.

Main results and the role of chance

Lead acetate (LA) treatment of male mice decreased the 2-cell stage compared with the control group (P &gt; 0.05). There was no difference between control and LQ75, and between LA and LQ100. The other stages of embryonic development were not significantly affected by the treatment. Overall, early embryonic development in the control and LQ75 mice were better than LQ100 and LA mice.

The number of cells in the trophectoderm and inner-cell mass were not affected by treatments. However, the total blastocyst cell number in the control was higher than in the other groups; there was no significant difference between LQ100, LQ75 and LA groups. Fertilization rate was not affected by the treatments (P &lt; 0.05).

Quercetin acts as a potent antioxidant at low doses, but at high doses exerts a pro-oxidant action. According to previous reports, higher concentrations of quercetin increased apoptosis and necrosis while decreasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes. Also, it has been suggested that quercetin might disrupt the endocrine system and interfere with Sertoli cell function and sperm motility.

Limitations, reasons for caution

A limitation of this study is narrow dose selection; more studies are needed to determine the effective dose of quercetin in ameliorating the lead toxicity. There are also side effects of lead-quercetin chelates such as metal redistribution, essential metal loss, accumulation and persistency in intracellular sites, and peroxidation.

Wider implications of the findings: Lead administration adversely impacted on the embryogenesis; on the other hand, paternal quercetin co-administration somewhat ameliorated the adverse effects of lead on mice embryogenesis.

Trial registration number

Not applicable