Spermatogenic and Genetic Investigations of Spodumene on the Reproductive Qualities of Male Wistar Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Spodumene, a lithium aluminum silicate mineral, is widely employed in industrial applications; however, its effects on reproductive health remain unexplored. This study evaluated the reproductive parameters of male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) exposed to varying concentrations of spodumene. Spodumene collected from a mining site in Kakafu village, Patigi, Kwara State, Nigeria, was processed into powdered form. Thirty-five (35) adults male Wistar rats (weight 150 – 250g) were exposed to varying concentrations of spodumene at doses of 0 mg/kg (tap water; control), 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg for 28 days. Reproductive parameters assessed include sperm count (SC), daily sperm production (DSP), and comet assay to analyse the DNA integrity in the epididymis. The results showed that the SC and DSP of the control group had the highest values of 830×106 ± 900×104 M/ml and 190.74×10⁵ ± 264.2×10²/100mg of the testis respectively. While the group with the highest concentration of spodumene had the least SC and DSP of 52.25×10⁶ ± 25×10⁴ M/ml and 13.75×10⁵ ± 53.9×10²/100 mg of the testis respectively. DNA assessment revealed the control group had the least tail DNA (%), tail moment and tail olive moment with values of 5.69 ± 1.00 %, 0.31 ± 0.06 µm and 1.57 ± 0.57 respectively. Spodumene exposure resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in SC and DSP. Notably, no significant DNA damage was observed in the epididymis. The findings indicated that gradual intake or exposure to spodumene could negatively affect reproductive health, posing a significant risk to workers in mining environments. Further research is recommended to check for the DNA damage in prolonged exposure duration.