Ultrastructural alterations in testes from rats treated with cysteine

Cysteine administration in relatively large doses has been repetitively employed as preventive agent against chemically induced cell injury or as radioprotector. In this work we report that administration of a dose standard for those purposes (1.9 gr/kg, po in water) causes significant ultrastructurally evident alterations in testes at 24h. Damage involves Sertoli cells and spermatids. Alterations found in the former include dilatation of nuclear membrane and of the smooth (SER) and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and detachment of ribosomes from RER. Cytoplasm appeared more sparse and electron lucent than in controls and contained more lipid droplets and lysosomes. Mitochondria exhibited alterations in shape and size. Damage in spermatids consisted of the appearance of irregular shape of the nucleus and alterations in their acrosomal caps. There was no histochemical evidence for either calcium accumulation or lipid peroxidation occurrence in testes of cysteine-treated animals. Results indicate that the large doses of cysteine employed in prevention of radiation or chemical effects is able to cause injury to Sertoli cells of the testes. Damage observed does not reach irreversible stages but may be sufficient to lead to production of abnormal spermatids.