ISSN:
0003-276X
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
This report describes lesions observed in excurrent ducts of the testis in 152 of 518 rats, in the course of studies concerned with cadmium-induced testis injury and the actions of selenium and zinc, separately and combined, in protecting against such damage. All elements were injected subcutaneously, as soluble salts. Necropsy was usually five days (77% of rats) after cadmium injection, but lesions were observed within six hours.Ductuli efferentes showed variable degrees of sperm blockage, epithelial hyperplasia and metaplasia, periductal round cell infiltration, fibrosis and contraction. In 56 of 93 rats showing only ductuli lesions, testes were either normal or exhibited dilation of the rete testis and of variable numbers of seminiferous tubules, with or without “pressure degeneration” of the germinal epithelium. In the other 37 rats, the testes showed cadmium-induced injury.Lesions involving both ductuli efferentes and proximal segments of the caput epididymis (13 rats), or the latter alone (46 rats), tended to be associated with more severe testis damage. Epididymal lesions were characterized by focal proliferation and desquamation of duct epithelia, and formation of spermatoceles.The lesions observed were attributed primarily to ischemia, secondary to effects of cadmium upon the capillary bed of the tissues involved. However, their possible enhancement or modification by direct chemical action of cadmium, selenium or zinc upon the duct system or perivascular tissues could not be excluded.
Additional Material:
26 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.1091590308
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