Effect of Cadmium Chloride on the Mature Rat Testis

Moon, Ik Choo

Abstract

For the study of the effects of cadmium chloride and zinc acetate on the testis and relationship between regeneration of degenerated testis and mast cells, the Sprague-Dawley strain albino rats weighing from 180gm to 250 gm were used. Twenty seven rate were injected with cadmium chloride in the doses of 0.03 mM per kg body weight and twenty seven rats were injected the same amount of cadmium chloride and 3.0 mM per kg body weight of zinc acetate simultaneously. The testes were removed under ether anesthesia at different time intervals (3 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 4 days, 1 week, and 4 weeks) and the sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and toluidine blue, respectively. Through the histological and gross observation the following results were obtained. From 3 hours after the injection of cadmium chloride, the testis began to have degenerative changes in the interstitium and tubules changes began at 2 days after the injection of cadmium chloride. Active regeneration of the damaged interstitium was recognized at 2 weeks after the injection of cadmium chloride while the tubules were still in the state of necrosis. No regenerative changes of the tubular epithelium were observed throughout the experiment. The first appearance of tissue mast cells in the interstitium was observed at 2 days after the injection of cadmium chloride and the cells were increased in number as the time elapsed. The simultaneous injection of zinc acetate prevented the destruction of testes caused by toxic effect of cadmium chloride and no tissue mast cells were found in the interstitium of the testes throughout the experiment. The testes were diminished in the weight and size after the treatment of cadmium chloride but those mgross change were not found in the testes treated with zinc acetate simultaneously.