Study of prenatal exposure to 4-tetra octyl phenol on lipid peroxidation and activity levels of anti-oxidant enzymes in the testis of mature rats

4-tert-Octylphenol (OP) is major degradations products of alkylphenol ethoxylates. These chemicals are found in the waste water and sludge of sewage treatment works and river sediments. Alkylphenols are also found in drinking water. Thus, alkylphenols are widely dispersed in the environment. Several alkylphenols, including 4tert-octylphenol have included altered sex hormone levels and hypothalamic-pituitary outcomes, impaired spermatogenesis 4-tert-octylphenol is not considered directly genotoxic. The present study aims at evaluating the effects of prenatal exposure to octylphenol (4-tert OP) in the pregnant rats. The rats were randomly allocated into two groups of 10 rats/groups. Control rats were treated same as the experimental group but received intra-peritoneal injection of corn oil in a 20μ1 volume. The rats in octylphenol group were injected with 50mg octylphenol/kg body weight on 1st, 7th and 14th day of pregnancy. Rats were allowed to deliver pups and weaned. The F1 generation male rats were maintained up to postnatal day. The rats were sacrificed to assess the testicular and epididymal toxicity and reproductive abiity. This results stating that, significant increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation with a significant reduction in the activity levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase in testis was observed in rats exposed to 4-tert-Octylphenol during embryonic development. The present data demonstrate that exposed to 4-tert-Octylphenol can produce adverse effects on fertility, reproductive performance, and sperm parameters in adult male rats. Specifically, transplacental exposure to 4-tert-Octylphenol altered the growth of the testis, epididymis, and prostate gland as well as the structure of testes, suggesting that it had adverse on the reproductive organs.