Abstract

REVERSIBLE ACTION OF JUSSIAEA REPENS (L) INDUCED ALTERATIONS OF HISTOARCHITECHTURE VIS-À-VIS FUNCTIONS IN TESTICULAR TISSUES OF RAT

Subhasish Ghosal, Indrani Chakraborty and Nirmal Pradhan*

Abstract

Jussiaea repens is a non-toxic antigonadal herb, which has been reported to cause alteration of testicular functions, morphology of spermatozoa and reduced fertility rate. The present study was designed to investigate whether the crude aqueous extract of Jussiaea repens can affect the normal histoarchitechture of testicular tissue and vis-à-vis functions when administered orally and also to study whether the effect was reversible or not after withdrawal of treatment. Results showed that when crude aqueous extract of J.repens (except root) was fed orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.wt/day for a period of 28 days, caused marked alterations in histology of testis, reduction in seminiferous tubular and Leydig cell nuclear diameter. Spermatogenic stage count showed the arrest of spermatogenesis at stage VII followed by significant reduction in number of sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells i.e., SpgA, pLSc, mPSc, 7Sd and elongated spermatids. The H&E staining and SEM studies of treated testis showed reduction in interstitial tissue with leydig cells, tubular lumen, mature spermatids, thickness of basal lamina with irregular outline and profuse intraepithelial vacuolation. Acridine orange staining of treated testis showed disintegrated DNA with partial damage of spermatozoa in seminiferous tubule. The testicular sialic acid, phospholipid and GSH showed significant reduction but MDA was increased insignificantly in treated group where it was unaltered in serum. Serum level of testosterone, LH, FSH and testicular testosterone were greatly reduced in treated group. All these effects were restored towards normal after withdrawal of treatment. So, from these studies it may be concluded that J.repens, by altering the male reproductive hormone level, affected the normal histoarchitechture of testicular tissue vis-à-vis functions and the effects were reversible.

Keywords: Histoarchitechture, Seminiferous tubule, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, Testosterone, Spermatogenesis.