Affiliation:
1. Reproductive Biology and Molecular Toxicology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry University of Port Harcourt Choba Nigeria
2. Department of Medical Bioscience University of the Western Cape Bellville South Africa
3. Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction Imperial College London London UK
4. LogixX Pharma Berkshire UK
Abstract
AbstractIn this study, we performed the stereological examination of rat testes and evaluated the protective effect of testosterone against atrazine (ATZ) toxicity in TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells. Testosterone intake in rats increased the volumetric density of the seminiferous tubules; tubular diameter; germinal epithelial height; number of spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes, round spermatids, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells; and Johnsen scores compared with the values after ATZ treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, testosterone increased the viability of TM3 cells and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in TM4 cells compared to the ATZ‐treated group. In conclusion, exogenous testosterone intake maintains testicular morphometry and spermatogenesis in rats, and minimizes cell death and ROS generation in testicular cell lines exposed to ATZ. However, TM4 cells are more responsive to testosterone‐mediated regulation of ROS generation induced by ATZ than TM3 cells.
Subject
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis,Toxicology,Molecular Biology,Molecular Medicine,Biochemistry,General Medicine