Pituitary-testicular axis in benznidazole-treated rats
A L Favaretto1, J Antunes-Rodrigues, C L Vieira
1Departamento de Fisiologia, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil.
Abstract:
Benznidazole is used extensively throughout Latin America as an antiparasitic chemotherapeutic agent against chagasic infection. We have shown that rats chronically treated with 80 mg benznidazole kg-1 day-1 for 30 days present severe testicular atrophy and arrest of spermatogenesis. In the present experiments, plasma levels of testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin (Prl) were investigated in rats receiving 10, 40 and 80 mg benznidazole kg-1 day-1 for 30 days. No significant change in T, LH, or Prl levels was observed in treated rats (P greater than 0.05). Plasma FSH concentration, however, was markedly increased (P less than 0.05) by benznidazole treatment (40 and 80 mg kg-1 day-1) and remained high for 90 days after drug treatment was discontinued.
