The Effect of Methamphetamine on Pituitary-Gonad Hormone Axis and Testicular Tissue in Adult Rats

Abstract

Background & Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of methamphetamine on pituitary-gonadal hormone axis and testicular tissue. Materials & Methods: 36 adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups including control, experimental 1, 2 and 3. Experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 received 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg of methamphetamine, respectively by gavage for 45 days. At the end of the period, blood samples were taken from the hearts of the animals. Hormone levels were measured by ELISA kit and after preparation of tissue sections and staining, testicular tissue changes were studied. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and ANOVA test. Results: Serum concentrations of testosterone in experimental groups 2 and 3 showed a significant increase compared to the control group. Serum concentrations of LH and FSH hormones in all experimental groups were significantly reduced compared to the control group. The number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids in all experimental groups had a significant concentration-dependent decrease compared to the control group. In tissue sections, concentration-dependent changes were observed in the experimental groups in terms of the number of different lineage cells, different cell arrangements, and the spaces created inside the seminiferous tubules compared to the control group. Conclusion: Methamphetamine use has destructive effects on the pituitary-gonadal axis and testicular tissue which can accelerate the risk of infertility in males.

Keywords

• methamphetamine
• pituitary-gonadal hormonal axis
• testis