Comparação dos efeitos da ingestão crônica de arsenito e arsenato de sódio sobre parâmetros testiculares e epididimários em ratos Wistar

• Autor(a) principal: Souza, Ana Cláudia Ferreira
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: LOCUS Repositório Institucional da UFV
• Texto Completo: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/2362
• topic: Arsênio; Histomorfometria; Espermatozoides; Enzimas antioxidantes; Arsenic; Histomorphometry; Sperm; Antioxidant enzymes; CNPQ::CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::BIOLOGIA GERAL

Arsenic is a heavy metal widely found in nature in the form of arsenite and arsenate, being the first form the most toxic, once it reacts strongly with endogenous thiols groups. The intoxication by arsenic can cause different pathologies, among them those that affect the male reproductive system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of chronic exposure to sodium arsenite and arsenate on male reproductive organs, evaluating histomorphometric, enzymatic and functional parameters. Were used 30 adult Wistar rats randomly divided into five experimental groups. The control animals received saline, while the treated animals were exposed orally to sodium arsenate and arsenite, testing for each chemical form with concentrations of 0.01 mg/L and 10 mg/L. Were provided 30 mL of solutions daily for 56 days. Sodium arsenite at the two concentrations and arsenate at 10 mg/L caused a reduction in daily sperm production, the number of spermatids in the testis, and sperm in the epididymal caput/corpus regions. Changes in epididymal histomorphometry were variable and region-specific. In relation to testis, the animals treated with arsenic, mainly sodium arsenite, showed a reduced percentage of seminiferous epithelium and the proportion and volume of Leydig cells and connective tissue. In addition, there was an increase in the proportions of tunica propria, lumen, lymphatic space, blood vessels and macrophages. Additionally, sodium arsenite and arsenate, administered at the highest concentration, caused vacuolization at the base of the seminiferous epithelium in some tubules. Regarding the antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase activity did not change upon exposure to arsenic. However, catalase activity decreased in treated animals. Those results show the toxic powers of arsenic, mainly in the form of sodium arsenite, to reproductive morphofunctional parameters and for testicular antioxidant defense system, showing their harm potential to male fertility in Wistar rats.