RESUMO
The main objective of the present work was to study the possible role of some antioxidant [Vitamin E "Vit. E" and Selenium 'Se"] in protecting the testicular tissue from degenerative changes evoked by exposure to cigarette smoking. The present work showed that exposure to cigarette smoking resulted in a significant decrease in body weight of animals where a significant increase of body weight was observed in animals supplemented with antioxidants while exposed to cigarette smoking. Animals given antioxidants alone did not show any differences in body weight compared to control groups. Histological changes of testicular tissue of the group exposed to the smoke showed thickening of testicular capsule, widening of intertubular spaces with a decrease in interstitial tissue elements, vascular congestion, odema and thickened basement membrane of seminiferous tubules. Some of the seminiferous tubules showed distorted germinal epithellal cell layers, vacuolation and abnormal spermatids with ring shaped arrangement of peripheral chromatin. Giant multinucleated cells were also observed in some tubules. In some specimens there was an increase in the amount of degenerated tubules. Concerning the histochemical changes, the basal lamina, spermtides, Sertoli cells and interstitial tissue gave a very strong reaction with Schiff's reagent but spermatogonia given a weak reaction. The present results showed that giving Vit. E and Se as antioxidant substances to cigarette smoking exposed animals, resulted in a decrease. In the above histological and histochemical changes; the affected testicular tissues seemed to be more or less similar to controls. In conclusion, the present study showed that although using of certain antioxidants cannot completely prevent the drastic effects of cigarette smoking on living tissue, it prevented to some extent the degenerative changes observed In testicular tissues