Armaghane Danesh Bimonthly Journal (Apr 2020)
The Acute and Sub Chronic Effects of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether on Some Fertility Indices in Male Rats
Abstract
Background & aim: Methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is one of the fuel oxygenated additive that is used to reduce the environmental pollution resulting from engine combustion. The present study was conducted to evaluate the acute (1 day) and sub chronic (30 days) effects of MTBE on some fertility indices in male rats. Methods: In the present experimental study conducted in 2019, 40 male rats with an approximate weight of 180-200 grams entered the study. The mice were then classified in two separate experiments into two acute groups (one day of treatment) and sub chronic (30 consecutive days of treatment) (15 heads in the acute group and 25 heads in the chronic group). In each acute and chronic group, the animals were randomly divided into 5 subgroups of control, oil (sham), 400, 800, and 1600 mg/kg body weight and placed in individual cages. At the end of each experiment, selected parameters related to sperm quality (sperm motility percentage, live sperm mania percentage and total sperm count) were examined. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance and linear regression. Results: The results of the present study indicated that in a sub chronic experiment, peanut oil as a solvent of MTBE had a significant effect on sperm motility percentage (p <0.05). After multivariate linear regression, oral administration of MTBE at the desired concentrations for 30 days had no significant effect on sperm motility percentage, live sperm mania percentage and total sperm count (p <0.05). Conclusion: The present study revealed that oral MTBE administration had no negative or positive effect on male fertility parameters in both short and medium-term periods. Nonetheless, in the medium term, peanut oil, as an MTBE solvent, significantly increased sperm motility percentage.
