Effects Of Chronic Combined Cadmium Chloride And Nickel Vitriol On Seminiferous Tubules In Male Rat Testis

ObjectiveThe present study was to investigate combined chronic effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) and nickel vitriol (NiSO₄) on histological structure, ultrastructure, and spermatogenesis in adult rat testis to determine whether a marked loss of cells induced by exposuring to the CdCl₂ and NiSO₄ in rat testis occurred via apoptosis. In addition, this study was to examine the expression of factor-associated suicide (Fas) and fas mRNA in rat testis after the combined chronic treatment with CdCl₂ and NiSO₄.Material and MethodsFifty-six male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into fourteen groups including control groups (group A and A') and treated groups. The treated groups were given solutions containing cadmium ion (Cd²⁺) 2.9mg/kg·day (group B and B' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively), Cd²⁺ 5.8mg/kg·day (group C and C' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively), nickel ion (Ni²⁺) 5mg/kg·day (group D and D' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively), Ni²⁺50mg/kg·day (group E and E' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively), Cd²⁺2.9+ Ni²⁺5mg/kg·day (group F and F' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively), Cd²⁺5.8+ Ni²⁺50mg/kg·day (group G and G' were treated for 2 and 4 months, respectively) by gastrogavage once daily, while group A and A' were given equal volume of normal saline by gastrogavage once daily. Changes of...