Received December 01, 2020
Accepted June 04, 2021

Objective: To determine the duration of high dose of Phthalate that could affect sperm quality in adult male Wistar rats. Methods: Forty two (42) adult male Wistar rats (weighing between 150 – 200g) were randomly assigned into six groups (n=7): Group A received 0.5 mL of distilled water placebo and served as the control, while group B, C, D, E and F received Phthalate (740 mg/kgbw) for 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks respectively. The data obtained from the study was expressed as Mean ± SEM with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant. The data was analyzed with one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test using GraphPad Prism, version 8. Results: The results shows a statistically significant (p<0.05) decrease in testicular weight in rats exposed to 750 mg/kg of phthalate for 3, 5, 7 and 9 weeks when compared with the control group. Sperm count, motility and viability were also significantly (p<0.05) reduced while sperm cells with abnormal morphology was increased in weeks 3, 5, 7 and 9 when compared with their respective control. Serum zinc and magnesium were also significantly reduced (p<0.05) in week 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 when compared with the control. Conclusion: The dosage of phthalate adopted in this study was deleterious to testicular functions when rats were exposed to it for as short a period as three weeks.