Histochemical Changes of the Rat Testis and Epididymis after Treatment of α-Chlorohydrin-Effects of a Single Low Dose

Abstract

IntroductionIn 1968, Ericsson demonstrated that a-chlorohydrin is an effective male chemosterilant. Since then several workers have attempted to determine the mode of its action and very divergent opinions have been expressed in this regard (Brown-Woodman, White and Salamon ~ 1975;Hoffer, Hamilton and Fawcett -1973,1975;Glover -1976). Very little or no work has been carried out previously to determine the nature of histochemical changes caused by a-chlorohydrin in the testis and epididymis. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of a single low dose of a-chlorohydrin on lipids, carbohydrates and enzymes of testis and epididymis. Materials and MethodsThe present study was conducted on the testis and epididymis of sexually mature albino Wistar strain rats. a-Chlorohydrin (U-5897) with specific gravity 1.326 was obtained from Upjohn Company Kalamazoo, Michigan. A single low dose consisting of 14 mg/kg of body weight was administered subcutaneously to six rats. Before administration, the drug was diluted in distilled water in the ratio of 1 : 100. The treated rats were killed at an interval of 11 da$s. The control rats were given sc injections of distilled water only. and control rats were used. They were cut on cryostat microtome at 16 p . Material for the study of lipids was fixed in formol calcium and postchromed in dichromate calcium (Pearse -1968). Its frozen sections were submitted to various histochemical tests. Sudan black B (as cited in Chayen, Bitensky, Butcher and Poulter -1969) was used for the demonstration of lipids in general. Those cell components, which gave a positive reaction with Sudan black B together with a negative reaction in pyridine extracted material, were interpreted to contain lipids. Sudanophilic lipids, which stained red in Oil Red 0 (as cited in Chayen et al. -1969), were considered to contain neutral fats (triglycerides). Only those sudanophilic substances, which stained blue in Nile blue (as cited in Chayen et al. -1969) and blue black in acid haematin technique (as cited in Chayen et al. -1969) together with negative reactions in pyridine extracted material, were assumed to contain acidic lipids (phospholipids). For carbohydrates, the Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) method (as cited in Chayen et al. -1969) and alcian blue-PAS technique (as cited in Pearse -1968) were used. The PAS-positive substances, which were digested with diastase, were considered to contain glycogen; the diastase Fresh frozen sections of testicular and epididymal materials obtained from treated