Morphologic manifestations of testicular and epididymal toxicity

Abstract

Histopathologic examination of the testis is the most sensitive means to detect effects on spermatogenesis; however, the complexity of testicular histology, interrelatedness of cell types within the testis, and long duration of spermatogenesis can make assessment of a testicular toxicant challenging. A thorough understanding of the histology and morphologic manifestations of response to injury is critical to successfully identify a testicular effect and to begin to understand the underlying mechanism of action. The basic patterns of response to xenobiotic-induced injury to the testis and epididymis are detailed and discussed.

Keywords:

• testis
• epididymis
• toxicity
• histopathology
• rat
• mouse
• dog
• cynomolgus monkey

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dianne Creasy for providing images and Beverly Maleeff for preparation of the figures.