부산대학교 도서관

Histological Changes and Testicular Dysfunction in Severely Burned RatsBackground:The immediate and early sequelae of burns such as vascular collapse and wound sepsis have been extensively studied. Some studies now show that burns cause significant changes in most body systems including the male reproductive system. Only few studies have addressed the reproductive consequences of burns in the male however.Objective:To delineate histologic changes induced in rat testes exposed to major burns.Setting:Medical School Anatomy department. Design: Experimental animal study.Materials & Methods:We induced 3rd degree burns in Wistar rats equivalent to 40% of total body surface area and observed them over several weeks. They were sacrificed at 8 and 16 weeks.Main Outcome Measures:Epididymal sperm parameters, serum FSH, LH and testosterone (T) were measured. A semi-quantitative evaluation of histo-pathological changes in the testis was also carried out.Results:Burns caused significant reduction in all sperm parameters (p<0.05). FSH, LH and T were also significantly reduced at 8weeks. By 16 weeks however, only T was still reduced. The key histologic change was germ cell atrophy. In cases with chronic wounds, sloughing left only basal cells such as spermatogonia and Sertoli cells in many tubules.Conclusion:Burns impair spermatogenesis and damages testicular histology in rats.