Cocaine and testes: Effect and mechanisms of cocaine on testicular function

Cocaine abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. The illicit use of cocaine and its products has had a profound impact on our society. Presently around 3.6 million people use the drug on a regular basis, and its use is widespread among teenagers. The effects of chronic recreational drug use on the male reproductive system have become a focus of increasing interest in recent years. Basic studies in human semen samples have investigated the potential toxic effects of cocaine. The results of these findings have been largely inconsistent. Even though cocaine is widely abused by both males and females. There is an absence of detailed data regarding its effect on spermatogenesis and fertility in persons with a history of cocaine dependence or animal model. In this study, we studied (1) the effects of cocaine on spermatogenesis and fertility in peripurbertal rats following chronic cocaine administration; and (2) Characterization of cocaine binding sites in the rat testes. (3) Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activities in rat testes after chronic cocaine administration. (4) The role of apoptosis in cocaine induced testicular damage. (5) Expression of cAMP responsive element modulator (CREM) and Fas/FasL in the rat testes and in the sertoli cell culture following cocaine administration. Our results demonstrated that cocaine has adverse action on spermatogenesis. The apoptosis play an important role in cocaine induced testicular damage, especially in germ cell loss demonstrated by us. The apoptosis was activated by ROS and regulated at least by CREM and Fas gene in testes after cocaine administration. The absence on reducing expression of CREM, and upregulation of Fas may affect the spermatogenic process, at least in part, by increasing the degree of germ cell apoptosis.