Role of vitamin c as an antioxidant in cadmium chloride induced testicular damage.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals and potential for human exposure has generally increased with increase in industrial usage of this element. The purpose of the present study was to determine anti-oxidative role of vitamin C against cadmium chloride induced oxidative stress on rat testis. Adult male rats(n=6/group) were divided into five groups ,one control (Gr.I- 0.9% Saline treated) & two untreated experimental & two pretreated experimental groups. The untreated groups were injected with single dose of 0.5 & 1 mg /kg bw cadmium chloride (Gr.II &Gr.III) intraperitoneally. Vitamin C (30mg/kg bw,ip) was orally administered for 30 days prior to the exposure to 0.5 and 1mg/kg bw(Gr,IIa &Gr.IIIA) of cadmium chloride. In all the groups, rats were sacrificed 15 days after the final cadmium chloride or saline administration and the changes in the testicular weight and testicular level of Melonaldehyde , glutathione & superoxide dismutase were studied. Exposure to cadmium chloride lead to significant decrease in the testicular weight& level of GSH & SOD and increase in the level of testicular MDA compared to normal control. Pretreatment with vitamin C (30mg/kg bw) significantly prevented the increase in MDA level of the testis & ameliorated the fall in GSH & SOD as well as testicular weight compared to 0.5mg/kg bw cadmium chloride group. But pretreatment with vitamin C did not show any beneficial effect with 1mg/kg bw cadmium treated group. The study reports the antioxidative role of vitamin C in ameliorating lower doses of cadmium chloride induced testicular damage.

Effects of Temperature Change on Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression in Rat Testes / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: It has been reported that exposure of the testes to elevated temperatures results in decreased spermatogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature change on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) during spermatogenesis in rat testes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven Sprague-Dawley rats (200-230g) were randomly divided into control, hot bath and hot bath followed by cold bath, groups. The hot bath consisted of immersion in a 41-43 degrees C water bath for 10 minutes, and the cold bath consisted of immersion in a 18-20 degrees C water bath for 3 minutes. Each bathing was performed twice a day, three times a week, for a total of four weeks. Hematoxylin & Eosin staining was performed to evaluate the degree of spermatogenesis, and Western blot & immunohistochemistry were performed to investigate the expression of HSP 70 in the rat testes. RESULTS: From the histological tests, the spermatogenesis was severely impaired in hot bath group, but preserved in hot bath followed by cold bath group. The expression of HSP 70 in the hot bath group increased 1.5 times compared to that in the control group (p=0.075). However, the hot followed by cold bath group showed similar findings to those in the controls (p=0.934). Immunohistochemical analysis for the expression of HSP 70 demonstrated significant elevations in the hot bath group, and HSP 70 immunoreactivity was found in the Leydig cells and fibroblasts in all three groups, but the levels of expression of the HSP 70 in the control, and the hot followed by cold bath, groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate an elevation in the expression of the HSP 70 only occurred in the hot bath group, which suggests the induction of a coping mechanism for exposure to high temperature. As the levels of expression of the HSP 70 in the control, and hot followed by cold bath, groups were comparable, is suggestive of the levels of HSP 70 being consistent with those seen with normal spermatogenesis.

An Experimental Study on the Effects of X-ray Irradiation and Hyperthermia on the Rat Testis / 대한치료방사선과학회지

The effects of both hyperthermia alone and X-ray irradiation combined with hyperthermia on rat testis have been investigated. The histological changes were observed on 15 and 30 days after treatment. There was no histological change of rat testis by hyperthermia alone. The earliest change by x-ray irradiation was the degeneration of the spermatogonia of the seminiferous tubule, which was appeared in 2 gy group. Necrosis of the spermatogonia was severe in 6 gy group and complete atrophy was developed in 8 gy group. With increased dose of radiation, the degrees of changes of tubules was increased. In combined group of X-ray irradiation and hyperthermia, the histological change of the seminiferous tubule was more severe than X-ray alone group. Necrosis and atrophy of the spermatogonia were appeared in 2 gy and complete atrophy of spermatogonia was seen in 6 gy group. Thermal enhancement ratio (calculated at the complete atrophy of the spermatogonia) was 1.3 in this experiment. There was no difference in observation time inverval between 15 and 30 days after each treatment in all groups.

Specific staining of myo-inositol-1-phosphatase on polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis.

A sensitive staining method was developed to localise the activity of myoinositol- 1-phosphatase on Polyacrylamide gels after electrophoresis. The method can also be used for non-specific phosphatases as well as for those specific phosphatases acting upon inositol polyphosphates which are prime cellular second messengers. One or two nmol of phosphate is sufficient and less than 3 μg of purified protein will facilitate the localisation of phosphatase. If more phosphatases are present in the enzyme preparation, a combination of inhibitors can be used to suppress the activities of unwanted phosphatases and the use of specific substrates will facilitate the localisation of enzyme of interest.

Role of ascorbic acid in metabolism of rat testis and epididymis in relation to the onset of puberty.

The metabolism of ascorbic acid, cholesterol, serum testosterone level and activities of 3β and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases were studied in testis and Cauda epididymis of prepubertal, pubertal and postpubertal (5, 15, 30, 45, 55 and 60 day old) rats. The data showed that serum testosterone levels and 3β and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases were increased with the age. The ascorbic acid metabolism was found to be stabilized in testis at day 30 being comparable with the adult, whereas a spurt in its metabolism occurred by day 45 and a significant depletion in ascorbic acid content in relation to the passage of the first wave of spermatozoa through cauda epididymis. The results of this study clearly elucidate that ascorbic acid is involved in metabolism of testis and epididymis in developing postnatal rats, in relation to the increasing demands for attaining a stable hormonal milieu, and the onset of puberty and the passage of the first wave of spermatozoa, via the formation of its free radical monodehydroascorbic acid and charge transfer complex mechanism.

An Effect of Anti-Testicular Rabbit Serum on Rat Testis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Evidence of the antigenicity of testis and semen was first presented at the end of the last century. Landsteiner (1899), Metchnikoff (1900), and Metalnikoff (1900) demonstrated the induction of a spermotoxic antibody in animals sensitized with testicular homogenate or semen; this antibody was capable of immobilizing sperm cells. The earliest manifestation of homologous type of antisperm sensitization (Kennedy, 1924) was the immobilization of spermatozoa, and in some cases atrophy of germinal epithelium, following repeated injection of testicular homogenate or epidydimal sperm. Ryoo and Kim (1982) reported that spermatogenesis was adversely affected with degeneration and sloughing of germinal cells of the seminiferous tubules in the mice which were immunized with testis homogenate plus complete Freund's adjuvant. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of antitesticular rabbit serum produced against rat testis on spermatogenesis in rat. The results were as follows: 1.Theseminiferous tubules showed mild to moderate impairment of spermatogenesis such as degeneration and exfoliation of germinal epithelium in all experimental groups. Intraluminal spermatozoa of seminiferous tubules were decreased in number. Interspaces of seminiferous tubules were wider than normal and were infiltrated with mononuclear cells with some hemorrhage. 2. Intraluminal spermatozoa of the epididymides were markedly decreased in number but immature sperm cells were observed much more often than in normal control group.

Effect of Cadmium Chloride on the Mature Rat Testis / 대한비뇨기과학회지

For the study of the effects of cadmium chloride and zinc acetate on the testis and relationship between regeneration of degenerated testis and mast cells, the Sprague-Dawley strain albino rats weighing from 180gm to 250 gm were used. Twenty seven rate were injected with cadmium chloride in the doses of 0.03 mM per kg body weight and twenty seven rats were injected the same amount of cadmium chloride and 3.0 mM per kg body weight of zinc acetate simultaneously. The testes were removed under ether anesthesia at different time intervals (3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 4 days, 1 week, and 4 weeks) and the sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and toluidine blue, respectively. Through the histological and gross observation the following results were obtained. From 3 hours after the injection of cadmium chloride, the testis began to have degenerative changes in the interstitium and tubules changes began at 2 days after the injection of cadmium chloride. Active regeneration of the damaged interstitium was recognized at 2 weeks after the injection of cadmium chloride while the tubules were still in the state of necrosis. No regenerative changes of the tubular epithelium were observed throughout the experiment. The first appearance of tissue mast cells in the interstitium was observed at 2 days after the injection of cadmium chloride and the cells were increased in number as the time elapsed. The simultaneous injection of zinc acetate prevented the destruction of testes caused by toxic effect of cadmium chloride and no tissue mast cells were found in the interstitium of the testes throughout the experiment. The testes were diminished in the weight and size after the treatment of cadmium chloride but those mgross change were not found in the testes treated with zinc acetate simultaneously.