Effect of oestrogen as a radiooprotective agent on testosterone level and histological changes of testis in irradiated rats

ABSTRACT

Two hundred and forty adult male albino rats were used and divided into 8 equal groups. Group I was used as a control, group II was exposed to gamma radiation at a dose rate six Gy, group III was intramuscularly injected with a single dose of estrogen [0.166 mg/100 g b.w.], group IV was injected with fractionated dose of estrogen [0.09 mg/100 g b.w] daily for seven days, group V and VI were injected with the same single and fractionated doses 10 and 5 days preirradiation respectively, group VII and VIII were injected with the same single and fractionated doses 7 and 5 days post-irradiation respectively. From the results, it was concluded that pre-irradiation injection of single or fractionated doses of estrogen could result in the best effect on the serum testosterone level and the histological changes of testis in the irradiated rat