Effects of Low Doses of Alpha Chlorohydrin on the Dehydrogenases and Oxidases of Rat Epididymal Epithelium and Sperms: A Correlative Histochemical and Biochemical Study

Abstract

IntroductionAlpha chlorohydrin is a reversible antifertility agent in several species of animals (Kalla -1976). Although its use for this purpose has been rejected for human beings on account of bone marrow damage and other toxicity in rhesus monkeys (Kirton et al. -1970) but extensive and much basic work ist still going on using this research tool in order to develop its less toxic yet more active antifertility analogues. The mechanism of action of this compound continues to remain obscure. However, Mohri et al. (1975) have reported that its mode of action probably involves inhibition of certain glycolytic enzymes in sperms of susceptible animals (rat, boar, ram, guinea pig, hamster and rhesus monkey) by the 1-phosphate ester of alpha chlorohydrin. The rabbit spermatozoa are not susceptible to the antifertility effects of (k) alpha chlorohydrin (Samojlik and Chang -1970;Dickinson et al. -1977) negating its effects on its spermatozoa. This is further supported by the fact that the recent biochemical data (Moms and Williams -1980) as well as correlative, biochemical and histochemical observations have indicated that a specific action upon the spermatozoal enzymes cannot be proposed as there occur conspicuous disturbances of glucose metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1981a), protein and nucleic acid metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1981b), lipid metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1981c) and hydrolytic enzymes Gill -1977,1978; Gill and Guraya -1980) of epididymis. Information on the effect of alpha chlorohydrin on the key enzymes of TCA cycle, amino acid metabolis, steroidogenesis, diaphorases and monoamine oxidase of epididymal epithelial cells and sperms is lacking. This paper in continuation with the previous correlative, histochemical and biochemical studies Gill -1977,1978; Gill and Guraya, 1980; Kaur and Guraya -1981a, by c, d) describes and discusses the effect of low dose of alpha chlorohydrin on the key enzymes of TCA cycle, amino acid metabolism, diaphorases, steroidogenesis and monoamine oxidase of epididymal epithelial cells and sperms. This study has further indicated that alpha chlorohydrin in small doses acts directly on the biochemistry of epididymal epithelial cells, causing very conspicuous alterations in their various enzymes reported here. Material and MethodsAlbino rats of Wistar strain (260 ? 20 g) were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group of rats received a low dose (6.5 mg/kg) of alpha chloro-

Heat-Stress-Induced Metabolic Changes and Altered Male Reproductive Function

“…There were the highest glycolytic rates and the lower Krebs cycle rates in spermatozoa of all germ cells for its single energy source of glucose or fructose . Recently published studies showed that the activities of the glycolytic pathway, HMP pathway, and TCA cycle enzymes were estimated in caput, corpus, and cauda segments of epididymis . So the significantly increased levels of citrate, malate, and nicotinamide in the epididymis indicated reproductive energy metabolic disorders upon exposure to heat stress.…”

“…23 Recently published studies showed that the activities of the glycolytic pathway, HMP pathway, and TCA cycle enzymes were estimated in caput, corpus, and cauda segments of epididymis. 24 So the significantly increased levels of citrate, malate, and nicotinamide in the epididymis indicated reproductive energy metabolic disorders upon exposure to heat stress. Furthermore, the increased levels of malate and aspartate (Asp) suggest there would be alteration of the malate-aspartate shuttle in ATP generation in spermatozoa due to the effect of heat stress.…”

Effect of Low Doses of Alpha Chlorohydrin on the Dehydrogenases and Oxidases of Rat Testis. A Histochemical Study

“…This may be due to the fact that less precursors are coming for the normal functioning of TCA cycle as supported by the disturbed glycolytic cycle (Kaur and Guraya -1981a) and lipid metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1982) of the testis after treatment with alpha chlorohydrin. This may be due to the fact that less precursors are coming for the normal functioning of TCA cycle as supported by the disturbed glycolytic cycle (Kaur and Guraya -1981a) and lipid metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1982) of the testis after treatment with alpha chlorohydrin.…”

“…The decreased activities of ICDH, SDH and MDH in the interstitial tissue, Sertoli cells, spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa, which occur after treatment with alpha chlorohydrin suggests that the rate of their tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) is slowed down. This may be due to the fact that less precursors are coming for the normal functioning of TCA cycle as supported by the disturbed glycolytic cycle (Kaur and Guraya -1981a) and lipid metabolism (Kaur and Guraya -1982) of the testis after treatment with alpha chlorohydrin. GDH is the key enzyme in the amino acid metabolism.…”