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

Abstract

To investigate the effects of repeated crack-cocaine inhalation on spermatogenesis of pubertal and mature Balb/c mice, ten young (Y^ex) and ten adult (A^ex) 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 (Y^c) and adult (A^c) 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 Y^c animals, Y^ex 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 Y^ex and A^ex groups identified a significant reduction in the number of Sertoli cells (p < 0.001) and round spermatids (p < 0.001) in the Y^ex group and a significant increase in apoptotic Leydig cells (p = 0.04) in the A^ex group. The experimental results indicate that crack-cocaine smoke inhalation induced spermatogenesis disruption in chronically exposed mice, particularly in pubertal mice.

Keywords::

• Crack-cocaine
• spermatogenesis
• testis
• male-infertility
• 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.