Abstract
Vincristine, a major player in front line combination chemotherapy of cancer reduces testosterone levels contributing to reproductive toxicity. Much is known about testicular toxicity of vincristine as compared to its effect on epididymis; hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the epididymal toxicity associated with vincristine treatment, which also contributes to the overall reproductive toxicity associated with vincristine. Vincristine was intraperitoneally injected to adult male Wistar rats of proven fertility with a dose of 40 mg/kg/day dissolved in 0.5 ml of physiological saline for 30 days. The epididymal weight was found to be unaltered after treatment whereas sperm count was reduced significantly. Significant changes were noted in ion concentrations of cauda and caput of epididymis with changes in protein profile of the tissue, sperm and luminal protein from cauda and caput region, which plays a significant role in sperm maturation and sperm transport. Infertility associated with vincristine could be attributed to its effects on various epididymal proteins involved in sperm protection and various stages of sperm development such as cytoplasmic extrusion and membrane stabilization, which had contributed to the abnormal sperm count and impaired function.
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