Changes in the peritubular tissue of rat testis after cadmium treatment

The present study demonstrates histological and immunohistochemical changes in the peritubular testicular tissue of rat testis after application of cadmium chloride. After 5-day cadmium exposure, advanced deterioration of the boundary testicular tissue, mainly oedema, disarrangement of collagen fibres and peritubular cells, dilatation and thrombosis of blood vessels were observed. Changes in the boundary tissue were accompanied with desquamation of the germinal epithelium. Immunohistochemically, positive reaction for alpha-smooth muscle actin and desmin in tunica media of large testicular blood vessels basically was not affected. No reaction for vimentin was seen in endothelial cells of blood capillaries, whereas positive reaction presented only these cells in large blood vessels. The myofibroblasts positively reacting for desmin and alpha-smooth muscle actin form a single incomplete layer in the lamina propria of seminiferous tubules. Vimentin reactivity in the myofibroblasts and in the supporting Sertoli cells as well as Leydig cells in damaged testicular tissue was not observed. An increase in fibroblasts and free inflammatory cells positive for vimentin in the peritubular space on the peripheric area of the testis was observed.