| Popis: |
Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the literature describing male mammals' reproductive and sexual parameters exposed to the biocide TBT. Method: A formal computer-assisted search was performed independently by two authors using five online databases and keywords. A manual search of the reference list of the articles found for relevant original articles was also used. We initially identified potentially eligible publications related to the topic of interest through this procedure. The last systematic search resulted in adequate data on TBT toxicity in the mammalian male reproductive tract. Results: Decreases in testicular, epididymal, prostate and seminal vesicle weights were observed at higher TBT ranges. Decreases in serum testosterone levels were reported in some studies, with some histological changes in the surveyed tissues and decreased transcriptional expressions of steroidogenic enzymes. Notably, there were significant reductions in sperm count and motility and increased abnormalities. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to elucidate the precise manner of TBT's deleterious mechanisms of action on the spermatogenesis process. Therefore, a comprehensive survey of TBT levels in food and water sources should also be conducted better to protect susceptible populations from potentially deleterious reproduction effects. |
