Quantitative
study on the effects of chronic ethanol administration on
the testis of adult male rat
by
Gamal
H. El-Sokkary
Keywords:
alcoholism, seminiferous
tubules, Leydig cells,
3H-thymidine, labelling index
Submitted:
January 31, 2001
Accepted: March 25, 2001
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:
Considering the possibility that alcoholism induces gonadal
dysfunction, the present work was designed to investigate
the morphophysiology of rat testes submitted to experimental
alcoholism.
METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150±5 gm
were chronically given 40% ethanol solution at a dose of 3
g/kg body weight for 30 days. 3H-thymidine autoradiographic
investigations and histological studies were carried out to
determine the proliferative activity and/or different stages
of spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubule cycle and Leydig
cells.
RESULTS: The 3H-thymidine autoradigraphic investigation revealed
that there was a significant inhibition in the proliferative
activity of the spermatogonia in all stages of the seminiferous
tubule cycle in the alcohol-treated rats versus controls as
indicated by the values of 3H-labelling indices. The histological
and numerical investigations indicated that the alcohol-treated
rats presented testicular lesions including a significant
decrease in the diameter of the seminiferous tubules, the
number of different germ cells in all stages of the seminiferous
tubule cycle and the presence of degenerative germ cells.
In addition, there was a significant decrease in the number
of Leydig cells.
CONCLUSION: The present work suggests the deleterious effects
of alcohol on the testes. These effects may be due to the
effect of alcohol on the gonadotrophic cells of the pituitary
gland and/or directly on the seminiferous tubules and Leydig
cells.
