Tissue damage in the male murine reproductive system during experimental Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis

Chronic infection with Taenia crassiceps cysticerci in male mice increases the level of estradiol in serum, whereas it reduces that of testosterone. In addition, male mice lose their typical male reproductive behavior. The effects of cysticerci infection on the histomorphology of male reproductive tissues are unknown. The present study was undertaken to determine the histological changes in testes, seminal vesicles, and prostate of male mice infected with T. crassiceps cysticerci. At 16 wk of infection, all tissues exhibited high inflammatory infiltrate. Tissue lesions included marked dilation and peripheral fibrosis. In the testes, a diminution of spermiogenesis was observed. The overall results indicated that the histological changes in chronically parasitized male mice occurred with changes in hormone levels, simultaneously with the high inflammatory immune response.