P-56: Effects of Intraperitoneal Injections of Gibberellic Acid on Testicular Tissue in Adult Rats

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate effects of intraperitoneal administration of Giberellic Acid (GBA), a hormone of plants, on testicular tissue of adult rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty six adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=9). Control group was untreated, control-sham group injected 0.5cc 1% methanol, low dose of GBA group was administered 2 mg/kg and high dose group was injected 20 mg/kg body weightGBA with intraperitoneal injections, every other day. The following factors were evaluated on 15th, 30th and 45th day of treatment: Body weight, testes weight, thickness of testicular capsule, seminiferous tubules diameter, thickness of seminiferous tubules epithelium (TSTE), meiotic index (MI), tubular differentiation index (TDI), repopulation index (RI) of seminiferous tubules, spermiogenesis index (SI), Leydig cell count (LeCC) and lymphatic cell count (LyCC). Results: There was no significant (p<0.05) difference in above mentioned first four factors between different groups and days. MI and TSTE of high dose on 30th and 45th day and SI of this group only on 45th day declined significantly (p<0.05) in comparison with the control and control-sham groups. 45 days of treatment with both low and high dose of GBA caused a significant decrease in TDI and RI of these groups and an increase in LyCC of high dose group. Finally LeCC on days 30 and 45 of high dose and 45th day of low dose increased significantly (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study it can be concluded that GBA has a detrimental effect on testicular tissue and spermatogenesis.