Physiological disturbances and histological damages of reproductive system in male rats resulted by metformin

The current study was designed to evaluate the effects of metformin in some physiological and histological parameters of reproductive system in the diabetic male rats experimentally.  Forty rats were randomly divided into four groups. The (control) first group was treated with normal saline; the second was infected group which included rats diabetic experimentally treated by alloxan; the third and fourth groups were induced diabetic experimentally and received metformin suspension (150 mg kg-1 daily) at one and two doses respectively. Twelve hours was time between these two doses. Reproductive ability was measured by determination of some physiological parameters as count sperm, malformations, motility, dead sperm, weights of sex organs (testes, epididymis, prostate glands and seminal vesicles) and the damaged testicular structure. The present results indicated that the administrated metformin at high doses led to significant decrease (p < 0.05) in total count of sperm, motility and in weights of all sex organs such as testes, epididymis, prostate glands and seminal vesicle, while significant increase (p < 0.05) in sperm abnormalities and dead sperm. Also, the results showed that the diabetes and exposure to metformin caused many malformations of sperm such as shattered sperm, the lacking, hooked and quirky tail, while the abnormalities of head included the lacking, Globozoospermia and elliptical head. The histological damages in testicular structure were observed including the destroyed and raised thickness of connective tissue among seminiferous tubules, necrosis and reduction numbers of spermatocytes along with the congestion of blood vessels. Many histological alterations occurred clearly due to treated with high dose of metformin after diabetic experimentally including the most affected structural troubles as large fracture of seminiferous tubules, expansion of bloody congestion and raise of necrosis in testicular structure.