Effect of Lead Acetate on Basement Membrane of Seminiferous Tubules of Adult Rat Testis and Protective Effects of Ficus Carica: A Histological Study

Objective: To determine the effects of lead acetate and Ficus carica on disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules of adult rat testis. Study Design: An experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy, Army Medical College, Rawalpindi in collaboration with National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, from March to November 2017. Methodology: Thirty male adult Sprague Dawley rats were selected and divided into three groups, each with ten animals. All treatments were given once daily for a period of eight weeks. Control was labelled as group A. Group B was administered lead acetate at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight. Group C was treated with lead acetate at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight and Ficus carica at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight. Animals were dissected 24 hours after the last dose. Testis were treated, fixed and stained for histological study. Disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules was scored morphometrically on a scale of 0 (normal) to 3 (>70% tubules showing disruption) and statistically analysed. Results: Significant number of seminiferous tubules showed disruption of basement membrane in group B (20%) as compared to group A (0%). Less severe disruption of membrane was seen in group C as compared to group B, which was statistically not significant (p=0.082). Conclusion: Lead acetate causes significant disruption of basement membrane in seminiferous tubules of testis of adult rats but subsequent administration of Ficus carica reduces the effects on short term.