![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
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.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Division of Narcotics of Marilia City Police Department by release the crack-cocaine seized for this research.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
