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ALTERATIONS IN TESTES OF RATS EXPOSED TO ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE

A number of experiments have shown that the mammalian testis is quite sensitive to changes in atmospheric gases, both in vivo and in vitro. Degenerative changes have been observed in testes of rodents exposed to abnormal levels of oxygen, neon, carbon monoxide and other elements (Cockett & Johnson, 1970).

High levels of carbon dioxide appear deleterious to general systemic responses (Mullenax & Dougherty, 1963) and to sperm cell integrity and male fertility (Mukherjee & Singh, 1967) in vivo; alterations in atmospheric CO₂ levels affect metabolism of sperm cells (Salisbury, VanDemark, Lodge & Cragle, 1960) and testicular tissue (Fleeger, VanDemark & Johnson, 1967) in vitro. The changes in testes in vivo following short-term exposure of animals to elevated CO₂, however, have not been reported. This study