382 Bulletin UASVM, Veterinary Medicine 65(1)/2008 pISSN 1843-5270; eISSN 1843-5378 THE CONSEQUENCES OF FEMALE RATS CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO LEAD ACETATE ON THE BIOMARKERS EMPHASIZING THE HORMONAL DISRUPTING POTENTIAL OF THE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION FOR IN VIVO EVALUATION Dumitrescu Eugenia 1 , Alexandra Trif 2 , Muselin Florin 2 1 Departament of Pharmacology and Pharmacy cris_tinab@yahoo.com 2 Departament of Toxicology Abstract. Lead is a metal which is naturally found in earth crust [4], in mineral from: blue lead, anglesite, cerussite, mimetit, linarit, vanadinite and wulfenite [10, 15]. The products that contain lead are: paints, accumulators, ceramics, shots, gun bullets [5, 10, 14], defense system against X rays and radiations generally [11, 13], pigments, insecticides (lead arsenate), enamels, glass [7, 11], linoleum etc. The are few data referring to lead impact on reproductive system, however, it had been underlined the fact that lead accumulation in ovaries, even less in chronic supply conditions, determines the follicle genesis disturbance, resulting less primordial follicles and more atrezic follicles and also ovary cysts. The aim of the study was to evaluate lead reproductive toxicity for female rats. The concrete objectives were: evaluation of biological markers that emphasize the hormonal disrupting potential of reproductive function for in vivo evaluation (sexual hormones: FSH, LH, estradiole, progesterone, and testosterone). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was carried out on 32 white Wistar female, adult rats divided in four groups: three experimental (E) and one control (C). The E groups were exposed to lead acetate in drinking water for six month as follows: E 1 : 50 ppb (maximum admitted level in drinking water according to Romanian Law No 485/2002), E 2 : 100 ppb, E 3 : 150 ppb. Studied sexual hormones were determined by Elisa technique by Tody Laboratoires (ISO 17025). The estimation of sexual hormones dynamics was carried out in proestrus (hormonal surge for majority of studied hormones) at the same hour (around 5 p.m.). The data were statistically analyzed by Anova method and Student test. RESULTS AND DISCUSIONS Mean levels of seric FSH are summarized in table 1 and fig.1. Table 1. Mean FSH seric level in proestrus stady FSH (ng/ml) Group X±Sx D.S. Confidence level 95% M 321.62±49.28 13.39 6.55 E 1 0.58±0.03 0.08 6.55 E 2 69.32±68.67 19,42 6.55 E 3 0.65±0.13 0.38 6.55