Concentraciones plasmáticas de FSH y morfometría testicular bajo los efectos de un análogo del GnRH: la buserelina

Abstract

Aim To analyze plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels and seminiferous tubule histology in A/Snell mice under chronic high doses of buserelin. Material and method Forty male A/Snell mice, aged 2.5 months, were housed with pellet and water ad libitum (12/12 dark/light). The animals were distributed in seven experimental groups and one control group (physiological solution). In the experimental groups each mouse received 500 ng of buserelin (125 μl of Conceptal ® every 24 hours intraperitoneally). Blood was obtained by cardiac puncture to assess FSH by radioimmunoassay and the mice were sacrificed 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 11 days after injection. The testes were extracted and processed for routine histological technique (hematoxylin-eosin) to evaluate tubular diameter (STD, μm) and height of the germinal epithelium (HGE, μm).The results are expressed as mean ± SD. Results Buserelin induced a rapid decrease in blood FSH (70% compared with controls 24 hours after injection). Thereafter, blood values remained low and were lowest on day 5. During buserelin administration HGE increased (7-12 % compared with controls; p > 0.05). STD also increased (from −8 to +8%). HGE/STD was 1-12% higher in all experimental groups than in the control group. Conclusion The hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axis can be modified by drugs. The effects of these drugs can produce changes in the seminiferous epithelium, with enlargement of the Sertoli compartment related to FSH levels, and there seems to be a reversible arrest of late stages of spermatogenesis.