A comparison of the effects of bilateral efferent duct ligation and of partial epididymectomy on the testes of rats

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Soler ◽  
C Blazquez ◽  
J Pertusa ◽  
M Nunez ◽  
J Nunez ◽  
...  

Testis weight as a percentage of body weight did not change following bilateral ligation of the efferent ducts (EDL) close to the epididymis, whereas following removal of part of the epididymis between the site of ligation and a point close to the junction between the caput and corpus (PCE), testis weight first rose linearly until Day 4 and then showed an exponential decrease between Days 4 and 28. After EDL, the perimeter of the seminiferous tubules rose for the first 7 days and then remained elevated, whereas after PCE, there was a linear decrease between Days 4 and 28. Following EDL, the percentage of altered and degenerated tubular cross-sections rose to about 30% and 10%, respectively, during the first 7 days after operation and then remained constant; after PCE, the percentage of altered tubules reached a maximum of 54% by 4 days and then fell, whereas the percentage of degenerated tubules continued to rise to 95% by 28 days. It would appear that all the effects of removal of a portion of the epididymis cannot be explained by blockage of the excurrent ducts, and a specific endocrine effect of the epididymis on the testis is proposed.

1983 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
BP Setchell ◽  
KAA Galil

Testis blood flow per testis closely follows testis weight in rats made aspermatogenic by a single exposure of the testis to 43�C for 30 min or 500 rad (5 Gy) of irradiation from a caesium source, or following ligation of the efferent ducts. Aspermatogenesis following these treatments was associated with only minor changes in the concentrations of testosterone in peripheral blood before stimulation with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and a reduced responsiveness to hCG when testis weight had fallen after heating. The concentrations of testosterone in testicular venous blood was normal or above normal during aspermatogenesis resulting from heat or irradiation, and only slightly reduced following efferent duct ligation.


1983 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Wang ◽  
K. A. A. Galil ◽  
B. P. Setchell

Exposure of the testes of anaesthetized adult rats to 527 rads of γ-irradiation caused testis weight to fall slowly at first and then more rapidly from 21 days afterwards, reaching a minimum at 52 days, when spermatogenesis was severely disrupted. The weights of the accessory organs and the concentrations of testosterone in peripheral blood were slightly reduced; the concentrations in blood from the testicular veins were lower than control at shorter intervals after irradiation, but at later times tended to be similar or greater than control. Testicular blood flow per testis followed testis weight closely, and as a result the production of testosterone by the smaller testes (calculated as the product of plasma flow and the veno–arterial difference in testosterone concentration) was markedly reduced especially when the rats had been stimulated with human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Serum FSH and LH rose appreciably as testis weight fell but there was a proportionately greater rise in FSH than LH, in comparison with surgically castrated animals. Increased amounts of extratubular, extracellular fluid were found in the aspermatogenic testes, but injection of hCG still caused increases in capillary permeability and the amount of fluid in the testis. These results indicate that during aspermatogenesis following irradiation (as with heat and efferent duct ligation) the capacity of the testes to secrete testosterone is severely limited by decreased testicular blood flow, not by the ability of the Leydig cells to release testosterone into their immediate environment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jijing Tian ◽  
Ye Ding ◽  
Ruiping She ◽  
Longhuan Ma ◽  
Fang Du ◽  
...  

The health effects of bisphenol A (BPA) have become a great concern in recent years. In this study, the reproductive toxicity of BPA was investigated. Male CD-1 mice were orally administrated with BPA (0, 100, 300 and 600 mg kg−1 body weight) for 56 consecutive days. Results showed that relative testis weight to total body weight was significantly lower in the high-dose group ( p < 0.01, p < 0.05). Microscopic examination under light and transmission electron microscopes showed disorders of spermatogenesis after BPA exposure, including rough basal lamina of seminiferous tubules and damage of tight junctions between Sertoli cells. Further study by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase–mediated nick end labelling assay showed a significant induction of apoptosis in the testis tissue of the BPA groups ( p < 0.01). Immunohistochemical study found that the expression of androgen-binding protein (ABP) was significantly decreased in BPA-treated mice ( p < 0.01). Our results indicated that impairment of the basal lamina of seminiferous tubules and tight junctions may contribute to BPA-induced cell injury. A decrease in the level of ABP could be the possible mechanism for the reproductive toxicity of BPA. These findings provided direct evidence and novel insight into the reproductive toxicity of BPA and may have implications for understanding the toxicity of other endocrine disruptors.


Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Tao ◽  
JL Zupp ◽  
BP Setchell

The function of the blood-testis barrier has been assessed from the ratio of the Cr-EDTA space in the parenchyma to the measured interstitial volume in the testes of rats at various times after unilateral ligation of the efferent ducts. The barrier remained effective during the phase of fluid accumulation and testicular mass gain, which was linear for at least 24 h, but the testis mass began to decrease between 32 and 40 h after efferent duct ligation, and the Cr-EDTA space at 40 and 48 h after efferent duct ligation exceeded the volume of the interstitial tissue. This finding indicated that, at these times, the barrier to Cr-EDTA, which is normally excluded from the tubules, had broken down and the marker was entering the tubules. Thereafter, the Cr-EDTA space decreased again to be less than the interstitial tissue volume, indicating a restoration of the barrier function, although degeneration of the seminiferous epithelium continued to become more obvious. The present study is the first report of a reversible breakdown of the barrier, but the relevance of the breakdown to the effects on spermatogenesis requires further study.


1974 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Roy ◽  
B. S. Setty ◽  
Harish Chandra ◽  
Amiya B. Kar

ABSTRACT The uptake of 65Zn by different segments of the epididymis (caput, proximal corpus, distal corpus and cauda) and vas deferens of rhesus monkeys was investigated. The vas showed maximum accumulation as compared to different parts of the epididymis. Ligation of the efferent ducts of the testis for 90 days resulted in the absence of sperms with a corresponding decrease in 65Zn uptake in the epididymis and vas deferens. The latter, however, continued to show a relatively higher uptake than the epididymis. The significance of these findings is discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 321-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. Rodríguez-González ◽  
R. M. Vigueras-Villaseñor ◽  
S. Millán ◽  
N. Moran ◽  
R. Trejo ◽  
...  

Maternal protein restriction (MPR) during pregnancy impaired the reproduction of male offspring. We investigated, during the first wave of spermatogenesis, whether MPR exerts deleterious effects on germ cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as androgen receptor (AR) protein expression, which was used as a marker for Sertoli cell (SC) maturation. At the beginning of pregnancy (day 0), dams were fed a control diet (C: 20% casein) or a restricted isocaloric diet (R: 10% casein). After birth, four groups were established: CC, RR, CR and RC (first letter diet during pregnancy and second during lactation). Male offspring were studied at postnatal days 14, 21 and 36. At birth, pup body weight was unchanged. Body weight and testis weight were reduced in RR and CR groups at all ages evaluated. MPR delayed the germinal epithelium development at all ages evaluated. On performing Western blot and immunohistochemistry, AR expression was found to be lower in the three restricted groups. The results suggest that MPR during pregnancy and/or lactation delays SC maturation and germ cell differentiation, and affects intratubular organization. These changes might be responsible for the lower fertility rate at older ages.


Smith (1930) has shown that all parts of the reproductive tract of the male rat show pronounced atrophy after hypophysectomy. The testes are much reduced in size and are flabby. The seminiferous tubules show a corresponding diminution in size and all indications of spermatogenesis are absent. A more immediate effect of ablation of the pituitary gland is a complete loss of interest in the female. Richter and Wislocki (1930) also noted atrophy of the male genital organs of the rat after hypophysectomy, but in no great detail. Hypophysectomy has not yet been performed on a species in which the male shows a clear cut anœstrous period such as is found in the male ferret (Allanson, 1932). The present work was undertaken to find out if the testes of the ferret react to hypophysectomy in the same way as those of the rat, and to compare the resulting condition of the testes with that found during anœstrus. Further light on the activity of the pituitary body during anœstrus might thus be obtained. In addition, it was hoped to determine the rate of regression after hypophysectomy and to compare this with that found at the end of the breeding season. No attempt will be made in this or the following paper to deal with the general effects of hypophysectomy, but it may be mentioned that loss of body weight, if any, was slight during the time covered by these experiments.


1995 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 889-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Pant ◽  
AK Prasad ◽  
SC Srivastava ◽  
R. Shankar ◽  
SP Srivastava

1 Carbofuran was administered orally to adult male rats at dose levels of 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 or 0.8 mg kg -1 body weight, 5 d wk-1 for 60 days. A dose dependent decrease was observed in body weight of rats treated with 0.2-0.8 mg carbofuran kg -1 body weight 2 A significant decrease in the weight of epididymides, seminal vesicles, ventral prostate and coagulating glands was observed at various test doses of carbofuran except at the lowest dose. 3 Decreased sperm motility, reduced epididymal sperm count along with increased morphological abnormali ties in head, neck and tail regions of spermatozoa were observed in rats exposed to 0.2, 0.4, or 0.8 mg carbo furan kg-1 body weight. 4 In addition, significant alterations were observed in the activities of marker testicular enzymes viz. sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), glucose-6-P-dehydrogenase (G6PDH) (decreased), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) (increased) depending on dose. 5 Histologically, the results indicated the toxicity of carbo furan on testes depending on dose. The changes pre dominantly consisted of moderate oedema, congestion, damage to Sertoli cells and germ cells, along with the accumulation of cellular debris and presence of giant cells in the lumen of a few seminiferous tubules which showed disturbed spermatogenesis with the higher doses of carbofuran. 6 These observations determined a no effect level dose of 0.1 mg kg-1 body weight of carbofuran on the biochemi cal and morphological indices studied for male repro ductive toxicity assessment in the rat model. The results of the present study provide first hand information on the reproductive toxicity of carbofuran in male rats.


Author(s):  
Bertin Narcisse Vemo ◽  
Augustave Kenfack ◽  
Ferdinand Ngoula ◽  
Edouard Akono Nantia ◽  
Claude Cedric Njieudeu Ngaleu ◽  
...  

Cypermethrin is a large spectrum action insecticide, globally employed to control pests in agriculture and some human and domestic animals ectoparasites. This study aimed to evaluate its toxicity and reproduction impairment in male guinea pig. Forty adult male guinea pigs were divided into 4 groups and orally submitted to 0, 92, 137.5 and 275 mg/kg body weight/day for 90 days. The weight of the liver increased significantly, while that of kidneys decreased significantly in treated animals compared to controls. Serum concentrations of creatinine, urea, ALAT, ASAT, total cholesterol, prostatic acid phosphatase increased significantly, while the testicular total protein level decreased significantly in groups given the insecticide relatively to the control. The testes weight, libido, serum level of testosterone, mobility, sperm count and the percentage of spermatozoa with entire plasma membrane decreased significantly in animals exposed to cypermethrin with reference to controls. The percentages of abnormal spermatozoa increased significantly in animals submitted to 137.5 or 275 mg/kg body weight (bw) of cypermethrin compared to control ones. On the testis histological sections of pesticide-treated animals, immature germinal cells were observed in the lumen of seminiferous tubules. Cypermethrin was toxic in male guinea pig and damaged reproductive parameters.


Author(s):  
Rabah Mamou ◽  
Elara Moudilou ◽  
Jean-Marie Exbrayat ◽  
Mansour Amroun

The reproductive cycle of male wall lizard Podarcis vaucheri (Boulenger, 1905) living in Djurdjura mountain, was analyzed from April till October 2014. Its seasonal mixed-type cycle was characterized by three phases: sexual activity, quiescence and recrudescence. After the emergence of lizard from hibernation an intense sexual activity was observed in spring (April, May, and June) at which the testicular weight and seminiferous tubules diameter reached their maximal values. At this period, spermiogenesis was also maximal and the spermiation allowed the release of a large quantity of spermatozoa in both the seminiferous tubules and epididymis lumen. In July, a short sexual resting period followed, during which the testes mass and seminiferous tubules diameter decreased. Spermatogonia and some primary spermatocytes were observed against the wall of seminiferous tubules. The recrudescence period (August, September and October) was characterized by a progressive increase of the testis weight and seminiferous tubules diameter. Spermatocytogenesis began in August, and spermiogenesis occurred in September and October, before the diapause period. But the presence of spermatozoids was not signaled in the epididymis lumen. Field observations and microscopic evidence of testis showed that both sexes reproduced synchronously during spring and early summer.


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