Effects of long-term release GnRH agonist "deslorelin" on testicular HSP expression, accessory sex glands and testicular functions in adult male rats

Abstract

The objective of the present was to determine the effect of long-term release GnRH agonists "deslorelin" on suppression and restoration of testicular and accessory sex glands functions, and expression of HSP in testes of adult male rats. A group of twenty-eight male rats and fifty-six female rats were kept for eleven months. The male rats were subdivided into treatment (n = 18; deslorelin, an analogue of GnRH, 4.7 mg, S.C; six months) and control (n = 10; untreated), and the adult female rats were introduced with either treatment or control male rats at the 2nd, 6th and 11th months post implant insertion. At 6th month of deslorelin implants insertion, six male rats from treatment and five rats from control group were sacrificed. The remaining (twelve treatment and five control) male rats were sacrificed at 11 months. The testicular dimension were measured monthly in both treatment and control rats. The blood samples were collected for testosterone and HSP70 antibody, whereas, the testes and accessory glands were isolated for histological examination at each sacrificial time. The results showed that testicular dimension were significantly lesser in treatment group until 9 months post treatment. HSP70 protein expression was negligible at 6 months in treatment group but its intensity increased in spermatids 11 months of treatment similar to control group. Significantly lower testosterone concentrations with poor semen quality, and smaller litter size were observed in treatment group. The histological picture of accessory sex glands and seminiferous tubules shown a variable integrity in treatment group than control at 6 months implant insertion. In conclusion, the subcutaneous application of 4.7 mg of the GnRH-analogue deslorelin represents a practicable, like in the female rats, method to suppress testicular, accessory sex glands functions, testicular HSP expression and fertility in male rats. Moreover, the suppressive effects of deslorelin, continued until 11th months after removal of the implant. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.