A Histological and Morphometric Study of Monosodium Glutamate Toxic Effect on Testicular Structure and Potentiality of Recovery in Adult Albino Rats

We aimed to study the toxic effect of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) on the morphology and the structure of the rat testis and to see if there is a potential recovery of the adverse effects of MSG. The study was performed on forty-eight young adult Wistar male rats (age 10 weeks). The animals were divided randomly into Control group (C) and Experimental group (E), each containing 24 rats. Each group were subdivided into four subgroups in a way that each subgroup contained six rats. Each rate was of similar age. The experimental groups received 4 ml/Kg body weight (b.w.) I.P (Intraperitoneal) injection of MSG daily for 14 days. By time of scarification, the right testis was processed for histological evaluation while the left one was processed for sperm and morphometric evaluation. Rats treated with MSG showed morphological and morphometric changes as decrease in testicular weight, decrease in tubular diameter, reduction in germinal epithelium height, decrease in the spermatic count and abnormalities of sperms morphology. There was significant gradual improvement after cessation of treatment with MSG. However, the normal structure of the testis was not regained even after six weeks of cessation of treatment.