ABSTRACT
Air pollution constitutes the largest cause of environmental risks today. At present, no scientific publication linking environmental black soot and derangement in the hypothalamus and testis of rats exists. This study investigated the effect of black soot exposure on hypothalamic and testicular functions of male rats exposed to black soot for 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively. The hypothalamus and testis were processed for biochemical analysis. Results show that black soot exposure for 4, 8 and 12 weeks significantly (p < .05) increased oxidative stress markers both in the testis and in the hypothalamus of rats. Also, black soot exposure significantly (p < .05) decreased the alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase as well as lactate dehydrogenase activities in the testis. Furthermore, the result demonstrated an upregulation of the protein expression of caspase-3, an indication of increased apoptosis which led to the disruption of the histological architecture of the hypothalamus and testis. Taken together, black soot exposure induced hypothalamic and testicular oxidative stress and apoptosis in male rats.