Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
J Sex Med. 2014 Mar;11(3):653-63. doi: 10.1111/jsm.12416. Epub 2013 Dec 20.
The suppressing effects of chronic stress on sexual desire have long been noted. Yet the biological mechanisms underlying such effects, especially at the level of cellular biology of testicular cells, have not been fully investigated.
In the present study, we used a chronic unpredictable mild stress model to examine the association between chronic stress and structural alterations in the male reproductive system.
The main outcome measures were the structural changes in sperm cells and Leydig cells of male rats. We used Agmo and Ellingsen's procedure to study partner preference behavior and observed the morphology of Leydig cells and germ cells in the control and stress groups.
Our methods included histology, electron microscopy, and animal behavior tests.
The results showed that after 5 weeks of chronic stress exposure, partner preference behavior was impaired, the total surface area of Leydig cells and the number and diameter of seminiferous tubules decreased significantly, and the number and size of Leydig cells, as well as the number and the short-axis diameter of spermatogenic cells, also decreased. At the ultrastructural level, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the basement membranes of seminiferous tubules in stressed rats was far thinner, had a low density, and was uneven in thickness compared with the normal group, with enhanced apoptosis in germ cells.
We conclude that chronic stress can trigger organic damage to testicular cells in male rats.
慢性应激对性欲的抑制作用早已被注意到。然而，其潜在的生物学机制，特别是睾丸细胞的细胞生物学水平，尚未得到充分研究。
本研究采用慢性不可预测轻度应激模型，探讨慢性应激与男性生殖系统结构改变的关系。
主要观察指标为雄性大鼠精子细胞和间质细胞的结构变化。我们采用 Agmo 和 Ellingsen 的方法研究了亲代偏好行为，并观察了对照组和应激组间质细胞和生殖细胞的形态。
我们的方法包括组织学、电子显微镜和动物行为测试。
结果表明，在慢性应激暴露 5 周后，亲代偏好行为受损，间质细胞的总表面积、生精小管的数量和直径显著减少，间质细胞和生殖细胞的数量和直径也减少了。在超微结构水平上，透射电镜显示应激大鼠的生精小管基膜远比正常组薄，密度低，厚度不均匀，生殖细胞凋亡增强。
我们得出结论，慢性应激可引发雄性大鼠睾丸细胞的器质性损伤。
