The Effect of Cadmium Administration in Seminiferous Epithelium of Mouse Testes : Electron Microscopic Study

카드뮴 투여가 생쥐정소의 정소관상피에 미치는 영향 : 전자현미경적 연구

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of cadmium chloride on the spermatogenesis of male mouse. Cadmium chloride was administered as a single dose of 5mg/kg body weight by intraperitoneal injection. The testes were isolated from the experimental animals at 3 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours respectively after administration of cadmium chloride. The major changes in ultrastructures of the seminiferous tubules observed after cadmium chloride administration include dilation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, swelling of mitochondria and vacuolation in cytoplasm of the germ cells. Especially, cadmium chloride caused direct damages to spermatogonia such as degeneration of nuclei, nuclear membrane and plasma membrane. In addition, necrotic changes were observed in most germ cells at 24 hours after cadmium chloride administration. Therefore, it seems clear from these results that cadmium chloride induces acute irreversible degenerative changes in the seminiferous tubules of the mouse testis, so that the cadmium chloride ultimately causes necrosis in germ cells at all stages of the spermatogenesis.