Diabetic rat testes: morphological and functional alterations.
Authors Ricci G, Catizone A, Esposito R, Pisanti FA, Vietri MT, Galdieri M
Submitted By Submitted Externally on 3/12/2014
Status Published
Journal Andrologia
Year 2009
Date Published 12/1/2009
Volume : Pages 41 : 361 - 368
PubMed Reference 19891634
Abstract Reproductive dysfunction is a consequence of diabetes, but the underlying
mechanisms are poorly understood. This study investigated the histological and
molecular alterations in the testes of rats injected with streptozotocin at
prepuperal (SPI rats) and adult age (SAI rats) to understand whether diabetes
affects testicular tissue with different severity depending on the age in which
this pathological condition starts. The testes of diabetic animals showed
frequent abnormal histology, and seminiferous epithelium cytoarchitecture
appeared altered as well as the occludin distribution pattern. The early
occurrence of diabetes increased the percentage of animals with high number of
damaged tubules. The interstitial compartment of the testes was clearly
hypertrophic in several portions of the organs both in SPI and SAI rats.
Interestingly, fully developed Leydig cells were present in all the treated
animals although abnormally distributed. Besides the above-described damages, we
found a similar decrease in plasma testosterone levels both in SPI and SAI rats.
Oxidative stress (OS) is involved in the pathogenesis of various diabetic
complications, and in our experimental models we found that manganese superoxide
dismutase was reduced in diabetic animals. We conclude that in STZ-induced
diabetes, the altered spermatogenesis, more severe in SPI animals, is possibly
due to the effect of OS on Leydig cell function which could cause the
testosterone decrease responsible for the alterations found in the seminiferous
epithelium of diabetic animals.

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