ABSTRACT
Gamete toxicology, a subspecialty within the broad field of reproductive toxicology, is the study of how drugs and/or xenobiotics or their metabolites may alter the development and function of eggs and sperm. Many aspects of gamete biology can be evaluated after drug or toxicant exposure, including gamete production and release (numbers), structure (morphology), or function (ability to undergo normal transport, participate in fertilization, and support normal embryonic development). However, until recently, methods for evaluating the effects of toxicants on gametes were typically limited to routine histological or cytological observations during which sperm or eggs were counted and perhaps stained to evaluate external features. The past decade or two has produced numerous technological advances in cytology, molecular biology, and computer-enhanced measurements that are making it possible to probe gamete function to a far greater depth and specificity. These provide exciting opportunities for detecting toxicant-induced changes in gametes and for elucidating the cellular-molecular mechanisms by which toxicants may act.
