Abstract
The rapid emergence of various pesticides in the market is inevitable due to the demands from agriculture industries and domestic needs to control nuisance pests and to sustain green resources worldwide. However, long-term exposure to pesticide has led to adverse effects on male fertility. Organophosphate diazinon (O,O-diethyl-O-[2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinyl] phosphorothiote) is an often abusively used pesticide, as it is effective and economical. This study is to determine the adverse effects of low-dose diazinon exposure on the male reproductive system. In this study, 72 Sprague-Dawley rats were segregated into 1, 2, and 8 weeks of exposure groups and further sub-grouped (n = 6) to receive 0, 10, 15, and 30 mg/kg body weight diazinon treatment. Rats were gavaged orally with diazinon and sacrificed under anaesthesia the day after the last exposure. Our results showed that consistent diazinon exposure decreased glutathione and catalase, and increased lipid peroxidation which together lead to diazinon-mediated oxidative stress. Additionally, diazinon increased serum lactate dehydrogenase and decreased serum testosterone, which may have caused sperm and histopathological anomalies. In conclusion, exposure to diazinon caused changes in lipid peroxidation and sperm, and these two effects might be causally linked.