Testes alterations in pubertal benznidazole-treated rats.
To determine the side effects of benznidazole, an antiparasitic chemotherapeutic agent against chagasic infection, rats were treated with 80 mg benznidazole kg-1 day-1, p.o., for 30 days, while controls received the vehicle. Treated animals developed severe testicular atrophy (0.25 +/- 0.02 g/100 g vs 0.44 +/- 0.02 g/100 g for the controls), though plasma testosterone level, relative weight of seminal vesicles and prostate were similar to those of the controls. Histological examination of the testes revealed a statistically significant alteration in the spermatogenic process with a marked decrease in the frequency of meiosis, number of tubular sections with mature spermatids and depletion of germinal epithelium.
Vieira
C L
CL
Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
Lamano-Carvalho
T L
TL
Favaretto
A L
AL
Valença
M M
MM
Antunes-Rodrigues
J
J
Barreira
A A
AA
D000818:Animals; D001284:Atrophy; D008297:Male; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012669:Seminal Vesicles / Q000473:pathology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents
D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D013739:Testosterone; C009999:benzonidazole