Effects of infra-red laser irradiation on the ultrastructure of the mice seminiferous epithelial cells

Abstract EN

Testes of 20 adult male mice were exposed to laser irradiation daily for 15 days.

Ten of these animals were sacrificed within 24 hours of last exposure.

The other 10 were allowed to live without laser exposure for further 15 days before being killed.

Other 10 animals were never exposed to laser irradiation and were used as control.

Ultra-thin sections were prepared and were examined by an electron microscope.

The Sertoli and germ cells of the laser irradiated animals showed ultrastructural nuclear and cytoplasmic changes.

Some spermatogonia showed two prominent nucleoli instead of one.

Most of type-B spermatogonia showed a condensed chromatin material in the nucleus.

The primary spermatocytes show an increase in the electron density of the nucleus due to increase in the amount of chromatin material.

Fragmentation of the nuclear membrane was sometimes observed in the spermatocytes s well as spermatids.

The mitochondria and other cytoplasmic organells appeared to be more numerous in the cytoplasm of the laser treated cells.

These changes could indicate increased metabolic and proliferative activities of the laser treated somniferous epithelial cells.

Most of the Sertoli and germ cells of the rehabilitated animals were still showing picture which is more or less similar to the laser treated animals despite 2 weeks of stopping the exposure to laser.

This could indicate that the effects of laser are long lasting ones