Background: Lead is one of the heavy metals that has many side effects on different organs. Recently, infertility among both men and women has become a major concern. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells to the male reproductive organ is used for curing various diseases.
Aim of the work: The aim of the present work is to study the microscopic structural variations and immunohistochemical appearance of the effects of mesenchymal stem cells transplantation (MSCs) on oligospermia induced in adult male albino rats.
Material and methods: Thirty-two adult male rats were divided into; Group I (control group-ten rats), group II, twelve rats injected intravenously by a single dose of lead nitrate (LN, 23.3 mg/kg body weight) and group III (L N with MSCs) ten rats injected intravenously for six weeks. Sperm analysis, hormonal assay and testicular samples were taken for histological, immunohistochemical and statistical analysis at the end of the study.
Results: The results revealed that the mean percentage of sperm count, sperm motility and testosterone levels were significantly affected after LN toxicity with apparent changes in the histological pattern of the seminiferous tubules which showed distortion, abnormal distribution, vacuolation, deeply stained nuclei (apoptotic nuclei) and detachment of spermatogenic cells from the germinal epithelium in comparison to the control group. Immunohistochemical study showed that a significant elevation of the intensity of caspase-3 immunostaining in Sertoli, Leydig and peritubular myoid cells in comparison to that of the control group. MSCs injection after lead toxicity showed significant improvement in sperm analysis (count, motility, abnormality and morphology) with marked improvement in histological changes as well as decrease in the mean area% of caspase -3 immune reaction.
Conclusion: MCSs partially prevent testicular degenerative changes induced by lead toxicity, suggesting that the MSCs may give hope in the treatment of male infertility.