Ultrastructural study of the damaging effect of methotrexate on the rat testis

ABSTRACT

Methotrexate is one of the widely used cytotoxic agents. Its toxic effects are frequently considered a minor risk when weighed against the potential benefits of the treatment. Testicular and ovarian damage often lead to the loss of the reproductive activity, and have been cited as one of its undesirable risks. So, the aim of the present work was to study further the effect of methotrexate on rat testis. The used experimental animals were divided into 3 groups injected with distilled H[2O] [control group], low doses of the drug and high doses respectively. Light and electron microscopic examination of testes obtained from rat received low doses of the drug showed mild degenerative changes which involved only some spermatocytes and spermatids, while the spematogonia were more or less intact. Those received high doses showed moderate degenerative changes affected most of the spermatogenic cells. Interstitial fibrosis was also seen with the concomitant distortion of the tubular architecture. Therefore, the impairment of reproductive power in males receiving methotrexate can be attributed to the degenerative changes in spermatogenic cells. So, careful use of this drug especially in young men is recommended