Document Type : Original Article(s)
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan
2
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacodynamy & Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad
Abstract
Background:
Methamphetamine (MAMP) is a central nervous system stimulant that is increasingly abused by teenagers and young adults. The MAMP effects on the male reproductive system are not clear. In this experimental study, we evaluated the effects of single injection of three different doses of MAMP on the proliferation and apoptosis of the sperm germ cells in the mature rat.
Methods:
A single dose of MAMP in different doses (1, 5 or 15 mg/kg) or normal saline was administered intraperitoneally in four groups of mature male rats. The right and left tissue sections were immunostained with immunohistochemical methods for proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Indexes were calculated for proliferating and apoptotic cells.
Findings:
Cell proliferation decreased significantly in the group which treated with the highest dose. The ratio of proliferation to apoptosis decreased significantly in two groups with the highest doses. Conversely, apoptosis occurrence was increased in these groups. In the control group, more than 95% of spermatogonia were proliferating cells; however, 15mg/kg of MAMP caused an 85% reduction in the number of proliferating spermatogonia. On the contrary, the number of apoptotic cells at least doubled in some tubules of these groups. There were significant differences between the lower dose group and the higher doses groups. Therefore, the observed differences were relatively dose-dependent.
Conclusion:
This study revealed that one exposure to MAMP particularly at the high dose can change the proliferation/apoptosis ratio of spermatogonia in rat testis. Therefore, this would adversely affect the normal spermatogenesis process and could lead to disturbances in male fertility.
Key words: Methamphetamine, Cell proliferation, Apoptosis, Sperm germ cells, Rat.
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