Ethanol intoxication--dose dependent effect on circulating testosterone level in Wistar rats.

Ethanol i s a known tes t i cu la r tox in and i s known to impai r reproduc t ive per formance in exper imenta l an imals and humans . Our p rev ious s tudy wi th Wis ta r rats demonstrated the deleterious effects of e thanol in t es tes inc lud ing tes t i cu la r atrophy, germ cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and reduced steroidogenesis (1, 2) . We had also reported alcohol abuse in men resulted in dura t ion dependent decrease in c i rcu la t ing tes tos te rone and impai red hypotha lamic-p i tu ta ry-gonada l ax i s (3 ) , however the dose dependent e f fec t s o f e thanol was no t conc lus ive . The presen t s tudy was des igned to address th is i ssue .