TESTICULAR AND GENOTOXIC EFFECTS INDUCED BY SUBCHRONIC ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF CHLORPYRIFOS IN JAPANESE QUAIL (Coturnix japonica)

The aim of this study was to investigate the testicular and genotoxic effects of chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide, in adult male Japanese quail. For this purpose a total of 75 sexually mature birds were procured and randomly kept in five equal groups. Chlorpyrifos was given @ 0, 6, 8, 10 and 12 mg/kg BW orally for 36 days to experimental birds present in all groups (A-E). Adverse effects such as gasping, depression, watery droppings, decreased foam production, tremors and less frequency of mounting with pen mates were evident in a dose-dependent manner. Chlorpyrifos decreased feed intake, body weight and relative weight of testes, liver and kidneys as compared to control birds. Histopathological examination of seminiferous tubules of testes at higher concentration of chlorpyrifos (10 and 12 mg/kg BW) revealed less number of spermatogenic cell layers, increased number of degenerated spermatozoa and multinucleated giant cells. Furthermore, histopathological examination of liver tissues indicated extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation. Moreover, mild to moderate congestion with sporadic tubular epithelial cell necrosis was observed in kidneys. Significantly increased comet tail length confirmed DNA damage at higher concentration of chlorpyrifos in isolated lymphocyte and bone marrow cells. It was concluded that chlorpyrifos at 10 and 12 mg/kg BW rendered various clinical, pathological alterations in internal organs and was also involved in genotoxicity.