AMELIORATION OF FLUORIDE TOXICITY BY VITAMIN-E AND VITAMIN-D IN REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTIONS OF MALE-MICE

Studies on the beneficial effects of vitamins E and D supplementation on functions of caput and cauda epididymides, their spermatozoa, vas d eferens and seminal vesicle of sodium fluoride (NaF) treated (10 mg/kg body weight) male mice (Mus musculus) were carried out. The NaF treat ment resulted in significant decrease in the body and epididymis weigh t but those of vas deferens and seminal vesicle were not affected. NaF treatment brought about alterations in epididymal milieu as elucidate d by the significant decrease in levels of sialic acid and protein as well as activity of ATPase in epididymides. As a result, the sperm mat uration process was affected leading to a significant decline in cauda epididymal sperm motility and viability. This caused a significant re duction in fertility rate. The cauda epididymal sperm count was also s ignificantly reduced. The data obtained suggest that fluoride treatmen t induced significant metabolic alterations in the epididymides, vas d eferens and seminal vesicles of mice. The withdrawal of NaF treatment (30 days) produced incomplete recovery. On the other hand, sup-plement ation of vitamins E or D during the withdrawal period of NaF treated m ice was found to be very beneficial in recovery of all NaF induced eff ects, thus elucidating their ameliorative role in recovery from toxic effects of NaF on the reproductive functions and fertility. On the who le, a combination of vitamins E and D treatment was comparatively more effective than that with vitamin E or D alone. Therefore, vitamin the rapy could be beneficial for the amelioration of fluoride induced chan ges in reproductive functions.