Testicular Alteration in Over Dosage of Azathioprine: A Histological and Histochemical Study in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Aim:The use of Azathioprine (AZA) in the prevention of organ rejection during transplantation has been documented for different organs of the body. In this study, we investigated the effects of azathioprine on the integrity of the testis of Wistar rats using histological and histochemical techniques. Methods: Eighteen adult male Wistar rats with mean weight 210±2.65 g were randomly assigned into three groups. Group I (control) received 1 ml of normal saline "per os" (p.o), group II animals received 10 mg/kg AZA (p.o) while group III animals received 20 mg/kg AZA (p.o). Treatment lasted for 21 days. Twenty-four hours after treatment, animals were sacrificed; their testes excised, weighed and fixed in Bouin's fluid for histological evaluation using Haematoxylin and Eosin while histochemical studies were carried out using Gordon and Sweets, and Masson's Trichrome staining techniques. Testicular homogenate was used to assay for testosterone level. Results: Treatment with Azathioprine reduced testosterone level while the histological and histochemical findings of the testicular sections revealed cyto-architectural distortions and reduced staining intensity of collagen and reticulin connective tissue fibers in AZA treated animals compared to the control group. Conclusion: Results from the study reveal that the immunosuppressive drugazathioprine when used at a concentration above 10 mg/kg disrupts the testicular integrity of adult Wistar rats.

Protective Effect of Taurine on Thiopurine-Induced Testicular Atrophy in Male Albino Rats

“…This agrees with the results of Sachin et al [35] and Onanuga et al [36] who noticed a decrease in body and testicular weight of mice treated with AZP and was rationalized by the decrease of the anabolic effect of testosterone. The study of Bairyk et al [37], reported that oxidative stress reduced enzymatic and nonenzymatic level in Leydig cells and caused reduction of testosterone.…”

Ameliorative effect of taurine-chloramine in azathioprine-induced testicular damage; a deeper insight into the mechanism of protection

“…Oral AZA administration in male rats caused a significant decrease in body and testicular weight and reduced serum testosterone, LH, and FSH levels, which we believe may be attributed to the oxidative stress [ 51 ] induced by this drug or decrease in the anabolic effects of testosterone [ 52 , 53 ]. This hypothesis is consistent with the data reported by Duan et al (2017) [ 54 ], who found a marked decline in serum FSH and LH levels and increased.…”

Therapeutic approaches for anti-sperm-antibodies in the testicular sperm aspiration rat model

“…AZA inhibits DNA synthesis in cells that proliferate rapidly, such as T and B lymphocytes [38]. AZA harms fertility, causing damage to the testicular structure and disrupting testicular integrity in mice, as has been previously reported [25]. AZA has been demonstrated to reduce immunity and lowers number of killer cells, according to Honkila et al [39].…”

“…Only 40 mg of each tablet, which was powdered, was used. The 40 mg powder was then diluted in 10 mL normal saline solution (Sodium chloride 0.9% solution) and used at a therapeutic dosage of 20 mg/kg body weight every day for 2 weeks, according to Onanuga et al [25]. The treatment was administrated orally through a stomach tube.…”