|
A case of unilateral testicular abnormality was observed in a male Sprague-Dawley rat. This rat was 15 weeks of age and was one of 26 rats used as controls of a fertility study at Toxicology Research Center, KRICT. The right testis was about one-third testicular size of control rats and the weight of the testis was reduced markedly. In microscopical observation, loss of spermatogenic cells, formation of multinucleated giant cells, vacuolization of Sertoli cells, and decrease in the diameter of seminiferous tubules were observed in the affected testis. However, seminiferous tubules had a normally thin and smooth tubular basement membrane present. In the right epididymis of the rat, absence of sperm and minimal eosinophilic cellular debris were seen in the ductus epididymis. On the contrary, there were no adverse effects on organ weight, sperm parameter and histopathology of the left testis and epididymis, copulation index, and fertility index in the rat. Based on the results, the abnormality was diagnosed as spontaneous unilateral testicular hypoplasia.
|