Morphological research on the male gonad in long-lasting alcoholization of rats

The research was carried out on 64 male rats of the Wistar strain aged between 3 to 4 weeks and of an initial body weight of 150 to 300 g. The observed animals were divided into 4 experimental groups and for each individual group of alcoholized rats there was a separate control group. 40 animals in the experimental group were given 40% of ethyl alcohol in a dose of 3 g/kg body weight throughout a period of 13 days the 1. group, 51 days the II. group, 102 days the III. group and 204 days the IV. group. The last dose of alcohol was given 24 h before they were killed. The macroscopic appearance and the weight of the testicles was determined. The sections of testicles were stained with hematoxyline and eosine with the Azan method according to HEIDEN-HAIN and with Masson's Three-coloured stain. In each group the diemater of the seminal tubules was measured. A gradual decrease in the size and weight of the animal testicles was ascertained together with the prolongation of the duration of alcoholization. On the basis of my own observations one can suggest that, the narrowing of the seminal tubules light is one of the first noticeable results of the negative influence of ethyl alcohol on the gonad. In the microscopic preparations of the testicles of chronically alcoholized animals an inhibition in the spermio- and spermatogenesis, degenerative changes in the periphery of the spermatogenic epithelium were noticed. The intensification of the above described changes were observed to be dependent on the duration period of alcohol intoxication.