Zsolt Forgács, Katalin Paksy, Bertalan Varga, Péter Lázár
and Erzsébet Tátrai
National Institute of Occupational Health, Budapest, Hungary
Corresponding author:Dr. Zsolt ForgácsNational Institute of Occupational Health,Nagyvárad tér 2, Budapest,
H-1450, P.O. Box 22, Hungary
E-mail: forgacs@hotmail.com
CEJOEM 1997, 3:48-57
*The study was supported by the National Scientific Research
Fund (OTKA 2014/91) and the Research Fund of the Ministry of Welfare (ETT
8-41/1990) in Hungary.
Key words: Nickel, ovary, ovarian blood flow,
ovulation, progesteron secretion
Abstract: Rats (SPRD) with regular cycle were treated
with 10, 20 or 40 mg/kg NiSO4 or 0.9% NaCl solution through 5 cycles. On
the day of estrus of the 6th cycle (day of the expected estrus), the animals
were anesthetized with pentobarbital and from one of the ovarian veins
5-min blood samples were taken for 40 min. After the first sample, hCG
(100 IU/kg) was injected i.v. During the blood collection, the blood pressure
and ovarian venous outflow were continuously recorded. From the blood samples,
progesterone (P) was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and the secretion
rate of P was calculated. The ovaries (luteal and nonluteal), adrenals,
pituitary gland, and one of the kidneys were weighed. The number of corpora
lutea and the ova in the oviduct were counted. NiSO4 at 40 mg/kg disturbs
the ovarian cycle and the elevation of P secretion after hCG stimulus.
The blood pressure and the ovarian blood flow remained unaltered.
Received: 13 January 1997
Accepted: 14 February 1997