The effect of Leptin on testis germ cells of new born rats: a light microscopic study

Aim: the ob/ob (obese) female rats which are infertile and are always in pubertal term. this condition shows leptin’s effects on reproductive as an important factor. leptin level rises on females and males after the term of puberty which may trigger the onset of puberty. whereas estrogen increases the secretion of leptin, and decrease the testosteron. the effect mechanism of leptin in pubertal term and reproductive system of male is completely unknown. therefore we wanted to investigate the structural differences in testis germ cell caused by leptin from newborn until puberty at the level of light microscopic. materials and methods: in this study, leptin is applied to the newborn male rate from first day of birth to fourteenth days. the testis are taken out on the 15th., 25th., 35th. and 45th. days after birthday and are stained with various histochemical dyes and examined under light microscope. results: in this study, no differences were found on the development of testis between the experiment and control groups. the most definite differences were detected on the 35th. and 45th. days. on the 35th. day, experiment group spermatogonium, spermatosit i and ii, early spermatid was observed together at seminifer tubule wall. on the 45th. day, experiment group showed delayed and different type of spermatid and spermium which is different from control. conclusion: leptin does not have any important role on the early development of testis which has been shown histologically. our findings do not suggest that leptin back dates puberty.