Sperm Maturational Defect After Cyclophosphamide Treatment.

ABSTRACT

During normal spermatogenesis, most of the round spermatid’s cytoplasm was phagocytosed as ‘residual bodies’ by the Sertoli cell at spermiogenesis, and only a small cytoplasmic residue i.e. ‘cytoplasmic droplet’ remains applied to the elongated spermatid after release from the germinal epithelium. A characteristic morphological change on spermatozoa during epididymal transit was the caudal migration of the cytoplasmic droplet away from the neck via the principal piece, however, while studying the Cyclophosphamide (CPA) induced sperm morphological changes from the cauda epididymis in male Wistar rat, Rattus norvegicus using phase contrast microscope it was noticed that the sub-chronic and acute doses of CPA caused retention of cytoplasmic droplet on the mid-piece. Thus from the foregoing it was concluded that beside CPA being an inhibitor of spermatogenesis, it also interferes with the maturation of spermatozoa by the retention of cytoplasmic droplet perhaps due to alteration in epididymal secretory and absorptive functions thus leading to infertility.