Study on effects of selenium on histopathology and histometrical parameters in testis of normal and experimental varicocele rats

Negative effects of oxidative stress on serum, semen and testicular tissue have shown in patients with varicocele or in animal models. This study investigated the effects of sodium selenite on histological and histometrical parameters in testis of normal and varicocele-induced male Wistar rats. Forty-four rats were divided randomly in 11 groups: control group (1 ml/kg of saline intraperitoneally), sham-operated control group (only surgery without varicocele, 1 ml/kg of saline intraperitoneally, experimental varicocele groups (sodium selenite at doses 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) and normal experimental groups (sodium selenite at doses 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally). Two months after surgery using Turner method, varicocele was induced in rats. Then, sodium selenite was administered continuously for 60 days. Testis tissue samples were collected for histological and histometrical studies. Sodium selenite caused a significant increase in thickness of epithelium of seminiferous tubules compared to varicocele control group (P<0.01). Tubular differentiation index (TDI) and spermiogenesis index (SI) of seminiferous tubules showed an increase in sodium selenite groups compared to normal control group. TDI and SI of seminiferous tubules showed a significant decrease in varicocele control group compared to normal control group (P<0.05). Sodium selenite caused a significant increase in number of leydig cells in varicocelized rats, compared to varicocele control group (P<0.01). Taken together, the results of this study suggest that selenium treatment may have beneficial effect on the testis tissue of varicocelized rats.