Temporal adaptation in the testes of rat administered single dose Momordica charantia for three interrupted spermatogenic cycles: Cytometric quantification

Abstract

Although unrelenting attempts have been made during the past five decades in understanding the three-dimensional morphology of the rats’ testis and the organizational arrangements of the seminiferous tubules, the findings have remained ambiguous relating the structure to its function. This article investigates the effects of Momordica charantia (MC) on the testes of Sprague–Dawley (S–D) rats using stereological tools. A total of 50 male S–D rats, weighing 110–214 g were allocated randomly into three main groups I to III. Groups I and II were further divided into 10 subgroups of five rats. The duration of 6, 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks of extract treatment represented 5 subgroups in Group I. While 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks were 4 subgroups in Group II. Groups I and II received daily oral doses of 50 mg/100 g body weight of MC seed extract for the respective duration. Group III, (control) rats were fed an equal volume of physiological saline. The animals were sacrificed at the end of the experimental period and the testes were processed for cytometry. Stereological parameters estimated include: Testicular volume and weight, tubular diameter, cross sectional area of seminiferous tubules, number of profiles per unit area, length density and numerical density of the seminiferous tubules. Histomorphometric quantification showed a duration dependent decrease in the mean testicular volume and weight, seminiferous tubular diameter and cross sectional area of tubules; but an increase in the number of profiles per unit area, length density and numerical density of the seminiferous tubules. Those animals investigated for reversibility showed an appreciable recovery at discontinuation of the extract as testicular values compared similarly to their control counterpart. The Cytometric data support a time-related deleterious effect on the testes of S–D rats treated with Momordica charantia seed extract.