Original scientific paper

The effects of oral administration of monosodium glutamate (msg) on the testicular morphology and cauda epididymal sperm reserves of young and adult male rats.

Udensi M. Igwebuike ; Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Izuchukwu S. Ochiogu ; Department of Veterinary Obstetrics and Reproductive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Blessing C. Ihedinihu ; Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Joseph E. Ikokide ; Department of Veterinary Obstetrics and Reproductive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria
Idika K. Idika ; Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nigeria

Abstract

The effects of oral administration of varied doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the morphology of the testes and cauda epididymal sperm reserves of rats were studied using 28 four-week old (young) male Sprague-Dawley rats and 28 twelve-week-old (adult) male Sprague-Dawley rats. Increasing doses (1 mg/g body mass, 2 mg/g body mass, and 4 mg/g body mass) of a 40% aqueous solution of monosodium glutamate were administered to the male Sprague-Dawley rats every 48 hours for 6 weeks, using a rat gavage needle. The results showed that age variation did not influence the effect of MSG on the parameters studied in male rats. There was a significant reduction in the cauda epididymal sperm reserves (P<0.05) and the serum testosterone levels (P<0.05) of the rats that received monosodium glutamate relative to the control rats. The histomorphology of the testes of the rats that were given monosodium glutamate did not differ from those of the rats in the control group. No overt pathological lesions were seen in the testicular sections. These observations suggest that monosodium glutamate may have adversely affected spermatogenesis by disrupting the hypothalamic-pituitarytestis regulatory axis, and not through any direct toxic effect on the testis.

Keywords

monosodium glutamate; serum testosterone level; cauda epididymal sperm; testicular morphology

Hrčak ID:

70946

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/70946

Publication date:

20.7.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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