Reproductive and Mortality Outcomes in Wistar Rats Following Oral Polio Vaccine Administration

• 发表在: UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research
• Main Authors: Ibrahim Baffa Musa Anda, Tukur Jamilu, H G Bawa-Sani, A Bashir, A Umar
• 格式: 文件
• 语言: 英语
• 出版: Umaru Musa Yar'adua University, Katsina, Nigeria 2025-06-01
• 主题: opv:oral polio vaccine; reproductive profile; mortality indices; wister rats
• 在线阅读: https://ujmr.umyu.edu.ng/index.php/ujmr/article/view/738
• ISSN: 2616-0668; 2814-1822

Study's Excerpt: OPV was tested in Wistar rats to assess its effect on fertility amid public concern in Northern Nigeria. Male rats were paired with females; pregnancy rates and hormone levels were evaluated in all groups. No significant differences in pregnancies or deliveries were observed between control and test groups. Semen analysis showed normal parameters in all males, with higher motility in OPV-treated groups. The study confirms OPV had no adverse effects on reproductive health in male or female Wistar rats. Full Abstract: Rumors surrounding the potential side effect of infertility caused by the oral polio vaccine (OPV) have led parents and caregivers in Northern Nigeria to reject the OPVs. Unfortunately, little attention has been given to confirming or refuting this concern, and limited research addresses this gap. OPVs were administered to Wistar rats in varying doses, and their reproductive health and mortality indices were evaluated over a six-week period. The Wistar rats were divided into three experimental groups consisting of 10 male and 27 female rats. Each male rat was paired with three female rats and assigned to one control group and two experimental groups. Pregnancy tests, live delivery outcomes, estrogen and progesterone levels in females, and sperm parameters in males were methodically documented. Pregnancies were recorded in 6 (66%), 6 (66%), and 7 (77%) of the female rats in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, resulting in the delivery of 14, 15, and 16 offspring in the three groups. The mean number of pregnancies and deliveries was similar across the three groups, with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05). All male rats showed normal semen parameters. The comparison of mean semen analysis findings among the three groups was not statistically significant, except for sperm motility, which was higher in groups 2 and 3. OPV did not have any detrimental effect on the reproductive performance of both female and male rats. This study demonstrated that OPVs have no effect on the reproductive outcomes in both male and female rats exposed to OPVs.