Li H, George V K, Bianco F J, Lawrence W D, Dhabuwala C B
Department of Urology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA.
J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 1997;16(1):67-71.
This study was conducted to evaluate histopathologic findings in the testes of prepubertal male rats after long-term cocaine exposure.
At 25 days of age, male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered cocaine hydrochloride daily (15 mg/kg body weight corresponding to an average single dose for a heavy cocaine user). The treatment was continued for 100 days when all the rats were sacrificed. Morphological analysis of the testes were assessed by qualitative and quantitative histological means.
In all the groups, a minimum of 5 to 10 representative seminiferous tubules were examined. The mean diameter of the seminiferous tubules was less in the treated group than in their respective controls (p < 0.05). The thickness of the germinal epithelium was much reduced in the cocaine-treated groups when compared with their controls (p < 0.05). The number of degenerating germ cells was greater in the treated group than in the controls. There was evidence of failure to release the mature spermatids in the treated groups. There was no evidence of sloughed Sertoli cells or germ cells in the tubular lumen or the epididymis.
There were distinct histopathological changes noted after chronic administration of cocaine. These changes are characteristic of toxic effects on the testes, but the exact mechanism is not clear. Further studies are underway in our laboratory to delineate the exact mechanism of action by cocaine on the testes.
本研究旨在评估青春期前雄性大鼠长期接触可卡因后睾丸的组织病理学变化。
25日龄的雄性斯普拉格-道利大鼠每日给予盐酸可卡因（15毫克/千克体重，相当于重度可卡因使用者的平均单次剂量）。治疗持续100天，之后处死所有大鼠。通过定性和定量组织学方法对睾丸进行形态学分析。
在所有组中，至少检查了5至10条代表性的生精小管。治疗组生精小管的平均直径小于各自的对照组（p < 0.05）。与对照组相比，可卡因治疗组的生精上皮厚度明显降低（p < 0.05）。治疗组中退化生殖细胞的数量多于对照组。有证据表明治疗组未能释放成熟的精子细胞。在管腔或附睾中没有发现支持细胞或生殖细胞脱落的证据。
长期给予可卡因后出现了明显的组织病理学变化。这些变化是对睾丸产生毒性作用的特征，但确切机制尚不清楚。我们实验室正在进行进一步研究，以阐明可卡因对睾丸作用的确切机制。
