Effects of exposure to the inhalational anaesthetic sevoflurane on the male reproductive system in rats

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of inhalational anaesthetics on the male reproductive system in neonatal rats.

Methods: Postnatal day 6 (P6) male rat pups were assigned to 2 groups of 40 rats each. The control group did not receive anaesthesia, and the test group was exposed to air containing 3% sevoflurane in a chamber. After sevoflurane exposure, the effects on the male reproductive system in neonatal rats exposed to inhalational anaesthetics were tested. The rats were maintained to P60. The fertility, sperm and spermatid count, sperm motility, organ weights and histological changes in rats were determined.

Results: Compared with those of the control group, the sperm count and motility of the sevoflurane group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), and there was also a decrease in the number of foetal rats from the sevoflurane group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the arrangement of the seminiferous tubule was regular in the control group, whereas the arrangement of the seminiferous tubule was distorted and the spermatocytes were detached and irregularly lined in the sevoflurane group. TUNEL analysis showed that the number of apoptotic cells in the testes of the sevoflurane group was significantly increased (p < 0.05). SOD and MDA analyses showed that SOD was decreased, while MDA expression was increased.

Conclusions: These data indicated that young rats suffered as a result of inhalation of the anaesthetic sevoflurane and had reduced reproductive system function during adolescence in males. These studies are useful as a foundation for clinical studies.

Keywords: fertility; reproductive function; sevoflurane; sperm motility; testis histopathology.