Effect of visibile light on the testis and retina of albino rats: a histological and histochemical study

ABSTRACT

Forty male albino rats were classified equally into a control group under natural daily, light and an experimental group exposed to 40 W fluorescent lamp for a period of one month. After sacrificing the animals the right eye and testis were processed for histological study, while those of the left side were used for the histochemical study. The semineferous tubules of the testes exposed to light appeared to be enlarged and showed complete spermatogenesis and both the succinic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase enzymatic activity were increased. Retinas exposed to visible light showed folds in the outer layer and hypertrophy in the cells of the inner nuclear layer. The enzymatic activity of succinic dehyrogenase was decreased while the activity of alkaline phosphatase was increased in the pigment epithelium