Early events in rat testis after gossypol administration.

Eighty male rats were grouped into 8 groups of 10 animals each. Animals in groups I-IV were given gossypol (40 mg/kg/day) for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days respectively. Animals of groups V-VIII served as respective controls for groups I-IV. Marked changes in the activities of ATPase and SDH were observed following drug treatment. Decrease in the activity of testis LDH was evident even after 7 days of drug treatment. Activities of B-galactosidase, Glucose-6-phosphatase and Fructose-1-6-diphosphatase were not affected by gossypol treatment. Glycogen contents in testis were not different from those of the controls. A significant decrease in the tubular diameter and germinal height of the seminiferous tubules was observed after 21 days of drug treatment. Quantitative analysis of spermatogenic elements revealed marked decrease in the ratios of resting spermatocyte. A type spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocyte/resting spermatocyte, and stage 19 spermatids/stage 7 spermatids after 7 days of drug treatment. A progressive decrease in the ratios of these cell types was observed as the duration of the drug treatment was extended. Liver enzymes (except SDH and LDH after 28 days of drug treatment) were not affected by gossypol treatment. Our data strongly suggest that degenerative changes in the testis start after one week of drug administration. The histological changes visible at light microscopy level start appearing after 14 days of drug treatment.