ON TESTIS AND EPlDlDYMlS OF RATS - Pondicherry University ...

4 RESULTS
4.1 Administration of TCDD to rats
TCDD was administered orally at the doses of 1, 10 and 100 ng/ Kg body
weight/ day to pubertal rats for 45 days. Corresponding groups of control animals
were maintained and received equal volumes of vehicle only. The animals were
killed after 24 h of the last treatment.
4.1.1 Effect of TCDD on body and organ weights
Administration of TCDD did not show any significant change in the body
weight of the rats at the end of the treatments in all the experimental groups as
compared to the corr'esponding groups of control animals (Fig. 1; Table la).
The weight of the testis decreased significantly In rats administered with
TCDD as compared to the corresponding groups of control animals (Table la). The
wciyht of the testis when expressed relative to the body weight also decreased
significantly in the rats treated with TCDD as compared to the corresponding groups
of control animals (Table 1 b).
The weight of the epididymis decreased significantly in rats treated with
TCDD as compared to the corresponding groups of control rats (Table la). The
weight of the epididymis when expressed relative to the body weight also decreased
significantly in the rats treated with TCDD with respect to the corresponding groups
of control nnininls (Table I b).
Administration of TCDD decreased significantly in thc weight of the scminal
vesicles with respect to the cornspanding groups of convol animals (Table la). The
weight of the seminal vesicles when expressed relative to the body weight also
decreased significantly in the rats treated with TCDD as compared to the
Corresponding groups of control animals (Table I b).