Testicular atrophy in Gallus domesticus fed acute doses of copper fungicides.

Acute oral toxicity of tbe copper fungicidcs, copper sulphate and copper oxychloride,
were studied in male Gallus domesticus. The median lethal dose for copper sulphate and
coppler oxychloride determined Were 693 and 1263 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Severe
diarrhea and delayed mortality (3 to 6 days) was characteristic of copper oxychloride. Liver
weights were nearly doubled in birds fed copper oxychloride and marked dose-dependent testicular
atrophy was noticed in both copper sulphate and copper oxychloride fed birds. Mild to severe
spermatogenetic arrest concomitam with testicular atrophy WaS observed. Histochemically, the
interstitial (Leydig) cells and seminiferous tubules showed intense accumulation of cholesterol·
positive lipids. The degree of lipophilia appeared to be directly proportiooal to the extent of
spermatogenetic arrest. and these results are suggestive of steroidogenic inhibition in the Leydig
cells of the atrophied restis.