[Studies on the effects of thiamine deficiency on rat testes (author's transl)]

Using male rats fed a thiamine deficient diet from the age of 35-days, an investigation was made of the effects on testicular tissue after 30 days of thiamine deficiency. It was found that: 1) In the thiamine deficient group, the seminiferous tubuli of rats having erections had atrophied and there was a decrease in the number of primary spermatocytes and spermatogonium, but a moderate increase in the number of sertoli cells. Furthermore, spermatids and spermia were rarely seen in tubuli which contained multinuclear giant cells. In the group of rats not having erections, moderate interstitial edema was seen and there was notable degeneration and reduction in the number of primary spermatocytes and spermatogonium. 2) In the group injected with thiamine hydrochloride after 21 days of thiamine deficient feeding, moderate interstitial edema was seen and the seminiferous tubuli were atrophic. 3) In the pair-fed group, there was a marked edema of interstitial tissue and an atrophy of seminiferous tubulus. 4) With regard to the effects of thiamine deficiency on the polyamine contents of the testicles, there was a marked decrease in spermidine content on the 12th day of feeding and a marked increase of spermine content on the 30th day. The spermidine/spermine ratio, which is high during periods of active cell differentiation and proliferation, was found to be significantly decreased in the thiamine deficient animals on both the 12th and 30th days of thiamine deficiency. Thus, it was clarified that thiamine deficiency causes disturbances in cell differentiation and proliferation in rat testes.