Ultrastructural Alterations in Testes from Rats Treated with Cysteine

摘要

Cysteine administration in relatively large doses has been repetitively employed as preventive agent against chemically induced cell injury or as radioprotector.In this work we report that administration of a dose standard for those purposes(1.09gr/kg,po in water) causes significant ultrastructurally evident alterations in testes at 24h.Damage involves Sertoli cells and spermatids.Alterations found in the former include dilatation of nuclear membrane and of the smooth(SER)and rough endoplasmic retculum(RER)and detachment of ribosomes from RER.Cytoplasm appeared more sparse and electron lucent than in controls and contained more lipid droplets and lysosomes.Mitochondria exhibited alterations in shape and size Damage in spermatids consisted of the appearance of irregulaer shape of the nucleus and alterations in their acrosomal caps.There was no histochemical evidence for either calcium accumulation of lipid peroxidation occurrence in testes of cysteine-treates animals.Results indicate that the large doses of cysteine cemployed in prevention of radiation or chemical effects is able to cause injury to Srtoli cells of the testes.Damage observed does not reach irreverible stages but may be sufficient to lead to production of abnormal permatids.