The effects of sodium arsenite on the testis structure and sex hormones in vasectomised rats

Background: sodium arsenite and! or vasectomy may cause variation in sex hormoneswhich affect pathophysiology of reproductive organs.objective: the aim was to investigate the morphological changes in structure of testisand hormonal imbalance in bilateral vasectomised rats treated with sodium arsenite.materials and methods: four groups of rats: bilateral vasectomy + sodium arsenite,bilateral vasectomy, sham operated + sodium arsenite and sham operated only wereconsidered, and 8 mglkg! day of sodium arsenite was given for 8 weeks to the rats. thetotal volume of testis, volume of interstitial tissue, volume of seminiferous tubules,diameter of seminiferous tubules and germinal epithelium thickness were evaluatedusing stereological methods. hormones were also measured and the results wereanalyzed using one way anova.results: a significant reduction of total volume of testis (p