Repeated inhalation of crack-cocaine affects spermatogenesis in young and adult mice

To investigate the effects of repeated crack-cocaine inhalation on spermatogenesis of pubertal and mature Balb/c mice, ten young (Yex) and ten adult (Aex) Balb/c mice were exposed to the smoke from 5 g of crack with 57.7% of pure cocaine in an inhalation chamber, 5 days/week for 2 months. The young...

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Published inInhalation toxicology Vol. 24; no. 7; pp. 439 - 446
Main Authors Pires, A., Pieri, P., Hage, M., Santos, A. B. G., Medeiros, M. C. R., Garcia, R. C. T., Yonamine, M., Hallak, J., Saldiva, P. H. N., Zorzetto, J.C., Bueno, H. M. S.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Informa Healthcare 01.06.2012
Taylor & Francis
Subjects
Administration, Inhalation
Aging - physiology
Animals
Apoptosis - drug effects
Crack Cocaine - toxicity
Crack-cocaine
Male
male-infertility
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Smoke - adverse effects
spermatogenesis
Spermatogenesis - drug effects
testis
Testis - drug effects
Testis - pathology
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Summary:To investigate the effects of repeated crack-cocaine inhalation on spermatogenesis of pubertal and mature Balb/c mice, ten young (Yex) and ten adult (Aex) Balb/c mice were exposed to the smoke from 5 g of crack with 57.7% of pure cocaine in an inhalation chamber, 5 days/week for 2 months. The young (Yc) and adult (Ac) control animals (n = 10) were kept in a specially built and controlled animal house facility. The morphologic analysis of both testes of all animals included the analysis of quantitative and qualitative histologic parameters to assess the effect of crack-cocaine on spermatogenesis and Leydig cells. Apoptosis was determined by immunolabeling with caspase-3 antibodies. Compared to the Yc animals, Yex animals showed a significant reduction in the number of stage VII tubules per testis (p = 0.02), Sertoli cells (p < 0.001) and elongated spermatids (p = 0.001). Comparisons between the Yex and Aex groups identified a significant reduction in the number of Sertoli cells (p < 0.001) and round spermatids (p < 0.001) in the Yex group and a significant increase in apoptotic Leydig cells (p = 0.04) in the Aex group. The experimental results indicate that crack-cocaine smoke inhalation induced spermatogenesis disruption in chronically exposed mice, particularly in pubertal mice.
ISSN:0895-8378
1091-7691
DOI:10.3109/08958378.2012.684450