title: Chronic intoxication by heroin; histopathological effects on seminiferous tubules.
abstract: Seminiferous tubules from heroin abusers and from rats chronically intoxicated by heroin samples presented a striking reduction in the thickness of the germinal epithelium. Light and electron microscopical studies showed a considerable increase of lipids and phagosomes in Sertoli cells, disorganization of their junction complexes, detachment of immature germ cells which appeared free in the tubular lumen, and formation of giant multinucleate spermatids. These alterations point out that Sertoli cells could be the target element for the toxic effect of heroin samples on the seminiferous epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Toxicología, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stockert
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mosquera
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Castillo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tena
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sancho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003932:Heroin / Q000506:poisoning*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin