ON TESTIS AND EPlDlDYMlS OF RATS - Pondicherry University ...

eported in the TCDD-treated rats (Moore rt al.. 1989). It has been rcportcd that
prolactin increases the number of LH receptors and potentiate steroidogenic effect of
LH on Leydig cells while testicular prolactin receptors have been shown to be
confined to the interstitial tissue of the testis (Johnson and Everitt, 1995). Similarly
prolactin has been shown to increase the uptake of androgen and increases 5-a
reductas activity in the prostate, while testosterone maintains the number of prolactin
receptors in the prostate. Prolactin has also been shown to potentiate the effect of
testosterone on accessory sex organs (Mathur and Chattopadhyay, 1986). The
reduction in the levels of serum testosterone may also be due to decreased serum
prolactin level in the TCDD-treated rats.
5.2.6 Effect of TCDD on nucleic acid and protein contents in testis
Administration of TCDD decreased in DNA, RNA and protein contents of the
testis as compared to the corresponding groups of control animals (Fig. 9; Table 6).
The observed reduction in the levels of DNA. RNA and protein in the TCDD-treated
rats reflects the reduced synthetic and metabolic activities of the testis.
5.2.7 Effect of TCDD on antioxidant system in testis
Administration of TCDD increased the production of superoxide anion, nitric
oxide and hydrogen peroxide in the crude homogenate, mitochondrial and
microsome-rich fractions of testis of rats when compared to the corresponding groups
of control animals (Fig. 10a to IOc; Table 7a to 7c). Treatments of rats with TCDD
decreased the level of antioxidants such as glutathione, a-tocopherol and ascorbic
acid in the crude homogenate, mitochondrial and microsonle-rich fractions of testis of'
rats (Fig. 1 la to I Ic; Table 8a to 8c).
Administration of TCDD decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase.
camlase, glutathione rcductase and glutathione peroxidase (Fig. 12a to 12d; Table 9a
to 9d) while the level of lipid peroxidation (Fig. 13; Table 10) increased significantly
in the crude homogenate, mitochondria1 and microsome-rich fractions of testis of rats