RESUMEN
Objective: alcohol consumption is habitually accompanied by the use of other psychoactive substances, mostly tobacco. Nicotine and alcohol affect male accessory reproductive glands function. Most studies have been done on pathologic features of prostate, but there has been no systematic study on the seminal vesicle. Therefore, the aim of current study was to investigate the distribution of androgen receptor [AR] and estrogen receptors-beta [ER-beta] immune reactivities following long-term treatment of alcohol, nicotine or a combination of both substances
Materials and Methods: in this experimental study, a total of 40 adult Wistar rats, nine weeks of age, were used. Animals were randomly divided into four groups, including: i. Control group receiving normal saline 0.09%, ii. Ethanol group receiving ethanol 20% [2 ml/kg, via gavage], iii. Nicotine group receiving nicotine [0.1 mg/kg, subcutaneous injection], and iv. Ethanol-nicotine group receiving simultaneous ethanol 20% [2 ml/kg] and nicotine [0.1 mg/kg] treatment. All treatment lasted for eight weeks. Prior to intracardiac perfusion, blood sample was collected from left ventricle. The seminal vesicles were isolated and processed for paraffin blocking. The sample tissues were then studied for dis-tribution of AR and ER-beta immunereactivities using immunohistochemical [IHC] staining method. One way analysis of variance [ANOVA] and Tukey's test were performed for data analysis. A value of P<0.05 was considered significant
Results: our results revealed that the lowest mean number of positive cells belonged to the animals of ethanol-nicotine group that was followed by the ethanol, nicotine, and control groups, respectively. However, there was no significant difference regarding serum testosterone level among experimental groups
Conclusion: it was concluded that combination of both ethanol and nicotine may be a crucial factor in the expression levels of AR and ER-beta
RESUMEN
The effects of cigarette and alcohol on male reproductive system have been studied mainly on the testis and prostate but studies on their co-administration on the seminal vesicle which produces about 70% of the semen volume are scarce. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effects of nicotine and/ or alcohol on the glandular epithelial cells of seminal vesicle in adult rats. In this study, 50 adult Wistar rats, aged 9 weeks, were randomly divided into five groups, including: sham, control [0.09% normal saline], 20% ethanol [2 ml/kg], nicotine [0.1 mg/kg] and ethanol-nicotine. Ethanol was given via oral gavage but nicotine was administered subcutaneously for 50 days. Blood samples were collected prior to intracardiac perfusion. The seminal vesicles were later dissected and tissue samples were stained by H and E for morphologic and morphometric studies. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test were used for data analysis. A pvalue <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The height of glandular epithelial cells of the seminal vesicle was reduced remarkably in rats in ethanol versus the control group [p<0.0001]. However, testosterone concentrations were not significantly different in the two groups. Semen volume, as well as its acidophilic properties in the lumen of most acini were lower in the ethanol comparative to the control group. Ethanol had the most negative effects on the cells and tissue structure of seminal vesicle compared to nicotine. The minimal effects seen by the simultaneous use of alcohol and nicotine on seminal vesicle structure might be attributed to the reduction of alcohol absorption following nicotine administration