Effects of long-term exposure of female rats to low levels of lead: ovary and uterus histological architecture changes

The aim of the current study was to evaluate lead accumulation in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus and to take note of any consequent histo-architectural changes. The experiment involved a 12-month chronic exposure of 28 Wistar female rats at sexual maturity (221 +/- 0.88 g/individual) to lead acetate in drinking water. The rats were divided into 4 groups based on the level of lead exposure: E1 at 0.050 mg L-1, E2 at 0.100 mg L-1, E3 at 0.150 mg L-1, and a control group that received tap water. Lead level evaluation was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry at 283.3 nm and the histo-architectonics in target organs were evaluated after hematoxylin and eosin staining and microscopy. The exposure to lead acetate produced significant histological alterations caused by lead accumulation in the sexual organs. These structural changes correlated with the level of exposure in the ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes. They were mainly edemas and necrosis, denudation, and/or different stages of follicle evolution. These alterations have been shown to indicate infertility in female rats.