Damage to the Testicular Structure of Rats by Acute Oral Exposure of Cadmium

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most important heavy metal toxicants, used throughout the world at the industrial level. It affects humans through environmental and occupational exposure and animals through the environment. The most severe effects of oral exposure to Cd on the male reproductive system, particularly spermatogenesis, have not been discussed. In this study, we observed the damage to the testes and heritable DNA caused by oral exposure to Cd. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups: a control group and three groups treated with 5, 10, and 15 mg Cd/kg/day for 17 days by oral gavage. Our results revealed that Cd significantly decreases weight gain in 10 and 15 mg/kg groups, whereas the 5 mg/kg groups showed no difference in weight gain. The histopathology showed adverse structural effects on the rat testis by significantly reducing the thickness of the tunica albuginea, the diameter of the tubular lumen, and the interstitial space among seminiferous tubules and increasing the height of the epithelium and the diameter of the seminiferous tubules in Cd treated groups. Comet assay in epididymal sperms demonstrated a significant difference in the lengths of the head and comet in all the 3 Cd treated groups, indicating damage in heritable DNA, although variations in daily sperm production were not significant. Only a slight decrease in sperm count was reported in Cd-treated groups as compared to the control group, whereas the tail length, percentage of DNA in head, and tail showed no significant difference in control and all the experimental groups. Overall, our findings indicate that Cd toxicity must be controlled using natural sources, such as herbal medicine or bioremediation, with non-edible plants, because it could considerably affect heritable DNA and induce damage to the reproductive system.

Comparing the effects of Cyperus esculentus hydroethanolic extract and Euterpe oleracea on reproductive efficacy against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in male rats

“…The current experiment has been carried out to compare and evaluate the additive effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts of C. esculentus and E. oleracea on CdCl 2 -induced testicular degeneration in adult male rats. The present study showed that exposure to CdCl 2 caused a lowering in FW, body weight changes, as well as the relative weight of the epididymis and testis, due to the ability of CdCl 2 to suppress the digestion process and absorption via inhibition of the digestive enzymes [35] , which in turn reduced feed efficacy and nutrient absorption. Additionally, CdCl 2 can induce oxidative stress and cellular DNA damage that negatively reflects on body weight and testicular and epididymal relative weight [35] .…”

The time-dependent adverse effects of a high-fat diet on sperm parameters

“…When the structure of the seminiferous tubules is damaged, spermatogenesis is impaired. [31][32][33] Numerous studies, including those by Fan et al 34 and Hammami et al 11 have shown that the seminiferous epithelia become atrophied in mice fed a HFD. In contrast, Gómez-Elías et al showed normal histological results in mice fed a HFD.…”

Effects of Cadmium Exposure on Leydig Cells and Blood Vessels in Mouse Testis

“…Recent studies have indicated that the testes are extremely sensitive to Cd toxicity [12]. When adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 5, 10 and 15 mg CdCl 2 /kg/day for 17 days by oral gavage, their testes showed adverse structural effects to areas including the tunica albuginea, tubular lumen, and interstitial space among the seminiferous tubules [36]. Cadmium treatment also caused severe structural damage to the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cells and blood-testis barrier [8].…”