Changes in the testis and epididymis of rabbits after an intraperitoneal and peroral administration of cadmium

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of cadmium on the testis and epididymis of rabbits using light microscopy and morphometry methods. The first part of the study (group A) was carried out on clinically healthy 6-month-old rabbits (n = 10) which were injected (i.p.) with cadmium chloride at a single dose of 2.25 mg/kg body weight and killed 48 hours after cadmium application. In the second part of our research, the 10 young, 6-week-old rabbits (group B) were orally dosed with 1.0 mg Cd/kg body weight for a 5-month period of daily application and then killed. All experimental groups were compared to a control group (K) of 10 male rabbits without cadmium treatment. The samples of the testes and epididymes were processed by routine histological methods and evaluated using light microscopy and quantitative morphometry methods. Forty-eight hours after cadmium treatment, testes of rabbits receiving a dose 2.25 mg/kg body weight exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.0001) in germinal epithelium volume to 67.11 ± 0.66% and a significant increase in stroma volume (p < 0.0001) to 29.98 ± 0.72% in comparison with control (77.75 ± 3.91% and 12.27 ± 1.50%, respectively) by morphometrical methods. The seminiferous epithelium showed the signs of various injury, with alterations in the basal membrane. In the testes of 1.0 mg/kg body weight Cd-treated rabbits after 5 months, significant increase in stroma volume (p < 0.05) to 16.11 ± 3.16% have been demonstrated. In the epididymis a significant decrease in epithelium relative volume was found in group A (p < 0.01) as well as in group B (p < 0.0001) (23.83 ± 1.84% and 14.21 ± 2.57%, respectively) in comparison with control group (30.30 ± 3.35%). The significant decrease in lumen, relative volume to 43.18 ± 1.51% (p < 0.001) and increase in the interstitial tissue volume to 32.99 ± 2.37% (p < 0.0001) was found in group A in comparison with control (52.17 ± 1.51% and 17.53 ± 3.89%, respectively).