Testicular histopathology in rats co-exposed to heat and psychological stressors

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of co-exposure to heat and psycho-logical stressors on testicular tissue as one of the major male reproductive organs in rats.Methods: Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 10 animals each. The first group was exposed to heat stress (Temperature Humidity Index: 57.75 +/- 3), the second group was exposed to three psychological stressors including strobe light ultrasonic sound, and tilting cage, and the third group was co-exposed to both heat and psychological stress daily. The order of exposure to various psychological stressors was randomized. Following the last day of the 40-day exposure, the rats were euthanized and their testicular tissues were fixed in Bouin's solution. Moreover, a tissue processor, a microtome as well as hematoxylin, and eosin staining were used for tissue preparation.Results: The co-exposure to psychological and heat stress can cause negative testis histopatho-logical changes including spermatid retention, degeneration of round spermatids and spermato-cytes, degeneration and depletion of elongated Spermatid, Sertoli cell status, tubular degeneration/atrophy, Leydig cell atrophy, tubular dilatation, re-tubular dilation, and sclerosis status in a number of rats. Moreover, the histopathological changes were higher in the group exposed to heat stress compared with those exposed to psychological stress.Conclusions: Although exposure to either stressor alone can affect testicular tissue as part of the reproductive system, co-exposure to both stressors may result in an increased risk of adverse effects on testicular tissue.