Abstract
Acetaminophen (APAP) is a widely consumed analgesic-antipyretic drug found in seVeral
nonprescription pharmaceutical compounds such as Panadol. It is globally recommended as a firstline
agent for the treatment of fever and pain due to its few contraindications. APAP lacks the
significant gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
drugs. The easy accessibility and low price of this drug masks the potential danger of
its misuse with subsequent occurrence of acute, subacute or chronic toxicity. Hepatic and renal
damage are well-recognized complications of APAP poisoning, but other vital organs toxicity are
neither studied nor described well in the literature. Also, the effects of its chronic administration on
male reproductive system functions remain largely unknown. So, the present study was designated
to explore the effect of short-term APAP administration on adult albino rats' testes. The study was
conducted on 20 adult male albino rats, divided equally into 2 groups. Group I (control group): each
fasted rat received 2 ml of normal saline. Group II (APAP group): each fasted rat received 500
mg/kg of APAP dissolved in 2 ml of normal saline. Each group received their corresponding
substance daily via intragastric tube for 60 consecutive days then sacrificed. The separated serum
samples were used for estimation of testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating
hormone levels. The dissected epididymides were analyzed for different sperm quality parameters
(count, motility, and normal morphology). Also, the removed testes were prepared for
histopathological and ultrastructural examination. The hormonal assay results depicted significant
reduction in testosterone along with significant elevation in luteinizing hormone and follicle
stimulating hormone levels. There were also significant reduction in both testicular and
epididymides weights as well as significant depletion in all analyzed sperm quality parame ers.
Testicular specimens from treated rats showed variable histological and ultrastructural degener ive
changes in germ cells and Sertoli cells in many seminiferous tubules as well as Leydig cells d
blood vessels. Disturbance of the regular arrangement of the spermatogenic cell layers in the stis
were also observed. So, much more attention should be paid to this drug as a possible source of
adult male reproductive organs toxicity with decreasing fertility especially when chrom ly
ingested for a long period by humans. On the other hand, this drug may carry the pote of
inducing damage to the testes during their development that lead to primary hypogonadism en
repeatedly for long time to male children. Thus, APAP should be used cautiously by m a
chronic prolonged basis because of its orchidotoxic effect that may diminish fertility. |
