Changes in the structure of seminal vesicles in rats of the reproductive period in conditions of cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression

Abstract

Objective: to establish the morphometric changes in the seminal vesicles of rats of the reproductive period at the conditions of prolonged systemic immunosuppression.

Material and methods. The study was carried out on 60 white rats of the reproductive period, obtained from the vivarium of laboratory animals of the SI LPR «ST. Luke Lugansk State Medical University». The immunosuppressive state was modeled by administration of cyclophosphamide at a dosage of 1.5 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly tenfold. The rats were taken out from the experiment by decapitation under ether anesthesia on 1, 7, 15, 30 and 60 days after the end of the drugs administration. The organs were weighed, the relative mass was calculated, the length, width and thickness were determined by means of a caliper. The volume of the organ was established by the method of water displacement in a graduated cylinder containing distilled water. At the microscopic level, examined the height and width of epithelial cells, their volume, and also the larger and smaller diameters and the volume of the cell nuclei. Volumetric values were calculated from the formula for the volume of an elongated ellipsoid of revolution.

Results of the study. Statistically significant decrease in all studied organometric parameters occurred both at the early (7, 15 days) and late observation periods (30 days). Micromorphometric parameters after cyclophosphamide administration also decreased with respect to the control group at similar times. The size of the nuclei and their volume decreased on 7, 15 and 30 days: the larger and smaller diameters significantly decreased by 3.99%, 4.98%, 8.38% and 3.22%, 6.56%, 8, 06% respectively. The parameters of the volume of the nuclei of the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicles of the animals of the control groups significantly exceeded the data of the experimental rats at the same time by 7.07%, 11.02% and 15.77%. At 1 and 60 days, statistically significant differences between the parameters studied were not established.

Conclusions. Statistically significant changes in organometric parameters of the organ are noted both at the early (7, 15 days) and late observation periods, which indicates the direct influence of cyclophosphamide on the biosynthetic processes in the organ. Micromorphometric changes, as well as the results of cyto- and karyometry, confirm the organometric data and indicate the development of local disturbances in the morphogenesis of seminal vesicles caused by disregulation of the endocrine-immune homeostasis of the organ.