RESUMO
The present experimental animal study is designed to observe the gross and histological changes in the testes due to malnutrition. Experimental animals were fed with protein deficient diet daily for 30 days. At the end animals were sacrificed; their testes were weighed and cut into small pieces, which were embedded in paraffin and then 5 micro m thick sections were made, stained with PAS-sulfurous acid haematoxylin and examined microscopically for qualitative assessment of germinal epithelium. In the rats of group B, mean weight of the paired testes was 1.169 gm, significantly less than control. Paradoxically average tissue ratio was more [0.0039] which shows that the experimental animals had lost relatively more body weight than their testicular tissue. There was decrease in diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickening of basement membrane and an arrest of late stages of spermatogenesis. There were scanty Leydig cells, almost normal sertoli cells and collapsed blood vessels. Malnutrition is more toxic to late stages of spermatogenesis and Leydig cells