MORPHOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF CISPLATIN-INDUCED TESTICULAR DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Abstract

Twenty-one Wistar rats weighing 200 - 250 mg were categorized into three treatment groups- the control, saline and the cisplatin groups, each comprising of seven rats per group, to assess the effects of cisplatin-induced testicular damage in Wistar rats. The control group received feed mash and water ad libitum, the saline group received equal volumes of physiological saline intraperitoneally with normal feeds and water, while the cisplastin group received 8 mg/kg body weight of cisplastin only for five days and had normal feeds and water for twelve weeks before sacrifice. The effects of these treatments on total sperm count, sperm motility, percentage live:dead sperm and on testicular and epididymal morphology of the Wistar rats were assessed. The results revealed total sperm count in the cisplatin group as significantly different from control (p<0.001), and the motile sperm count in the cisplatin group was also significantly different from control (p<0.001). Also, there was a greater percentage of dead sperm and more morphologically abnormal forms in the cisplatin group, compared to control. The testicular and epididymal sections of the saline treatment showed normal progression of the spermatogenic germ cell series and normal testicular interstitium. The sections of the testes from the cisplatin group had seminiferous tubules with atrophic changes, detached basement membrane from the seminiferous epithelium, inflammed interstitium with oedema, paucity of Leydig cells, vascular congestion and haemorrhage. The epididymis showed lumen with empty or scanty spermatozoa, necrosis and haemorrhage. These findings affirms the reality of severe gonadotoxicity associated with use of cisplatin as chemotherapeutic agent, especially in the male.