Male reproductive organs are permanently changed in rodents exposed to high quantities of natural estrogens early in life; however, it is still unclear if exotic estrogens have the same adverse effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of estradiol benzoate (50 µg/rat) on the epididymis in male Wistar rats pre-puberty (aged 50 days). Ten male rats, aged 35 days, were divided equally into control (G1) and treatment (G2) groups. Rats in control were subcutaneously administered 0.25 ml of olive oil; treated rats received subcutaneous injections of 50 µg/rat of estradiol benzoate dissolved in 0.25 ml of olive oil for 15 successive days. After 24hrs from the last treatment session, rats in both groups were weighed, put under general anesthesia, and blood samples were taken to estimate testosterone and estrogen serum concentrations using competitive ELISA kits. The scrotum was dissected, the epididymis detached from the testis, and the weight and length were taken, then divided into three divisions (caput, corpus, and cauda) for histopathological study. HandE staining was used to detect general structures and histopathological changes. Special stains are used to detect collagen fibers, and mucopolysaccharide. The treated group (G2) shows a significant reduction in total length of epididymis and segments, as well as a non-significant drop in total weight. Histologically, the epididymis tubules showed a significant decrease in diameter; the lumen was empty of sperm; there was an increase in epithelial height; hyperplastic epithelia; and an appearance of cribriform forms with infiltration of inflammatory cells. Also, treated rats in G2 exhibited significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower blood testosterone and higher estradiol levels. This study concluded that rats exposed to 50 µg/rat of estradiol benzoate pre-puberty showed epididymis toxicity effects.
Keywords | Epididymis toxicity, Estradiol benzoate, Puberty, Pre-puberty, Male infertility, Sperms viability