Effect of preterm birth on rat testicular development: a morphological study

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Newborns experience activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, known as minipuberty. In preterm boys, sex hormone imbalance has been observed during the neonatal period. However, whether preterm birth affects testicular development has not been adequately studied.

AIM: To morphologically analyze the spermatogenic and steroidogenic compartments of the testes in immature rats born 24 hours preterm.

METHODS: We studied the testes of full-term and preterm Wistar rats (n = 10 per group) on postnatal days 14 and 28, with 5 animals at each time point. Full-term offspring (gestation length 22 days) were obtained via natural delivery. Preterm offspring (gestation length 21 days) were obtained by inducing preterm labor with mifepristone. Histological, immunohistochemical (detection of activated caspase-3), and morphometric analyses of the testes of full-term and preterm rats were performed.

RESULTS: The testicular microstructure of preterm and full-term rats on postnatal days 14 and 28 was similar. However, the diameter of the seminiferous tubules in preterm rats on day 14 was smaller than in full-term rats (p = 0.000); these differences resolved by day 28. At day 28, the number of testicular interstitial endocrinocytes showing morphological signs of functional activity was higher in preterm rats than in full-term animals (p = 0.000). Preterm birth led to an increase in the number of caspase-3-positive spermatogenic cells on day 28 (p = 0.000), as well as in caspase-3-positive interstitial endocrinocytes on days 14 (p = 0.000) and 28 (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: Preterm birth affects testicular structure in immature rats. The rate of spermatogenesis in preterm animals was unchanged; however, their testes showed a higher number of spermatogenic and steroidogenic cells undergoing apoptosis compared with full-term animals.

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About the authors

Vera V. Ivanova

Siberian State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: ivvera92@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2530-1112
SPIN-code: 9476-3329

Cand. Sci. (Biology), Assistant Professor

Russian Federation, Tomsk

Olga N. Serebryakova

Siberian State Medical University

Email: oserebryakovan@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2924-0724
SPIN-code: 3572-7818
Russian Federation, Tomsk

Andrey D. Dolbnya

Siberian State Medical University

Email: adolbnya1@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0009-0007-5310-6318
SPIN-code: 3046-0143
Russian Federation, Tomsk

Raisa I. Pleshko

Siberian State Medical University

Email: raisap57@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6476-9826
SPIN-code: 8212-0215

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Tomsk

Ivan V. Milto

Siberian State Medical University; Seversk Biophysical Research Center of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency

Email: milto_bio@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9764-4392
SPIN-code: 4919-2033

Dr. Sci. (Biology), Assistant Professor

Russian Federation, Tomsk; Seversk

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2. Fig. 1. Representative photographs of histological sections of rat testes: a — a full-term rat on the 14th day of postnatal development; b — a preterm rat on day 14 of postnatal development; c — a full-term rat on day 28 of postnatal development; d — a preterm rat on day 28 of postnatal development; stained with haematoxylin and eosin; arrow — a cluster of interstitial endocrine cells; short arrows — desquamated spermatogenic cells in the lumen of a convoluted seminiferous tubule; scale bar a, b — 50 µm, c, d — 100 µm.

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3. Fig. 2. Representative photographs of histological sections of rat testes: a — a full-term animal on day 14 of postnatal development; b — a preterm animal on day 14 of postnatal development; c — a full-term animal on day 28 of postnatal development; d — a preterm rat on day 28 of postnatal development; immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against activated caspase-3, with nuclei counterstained with Gill's haematoxylin; arrows indicate immunopositive cells; scale bar for a, c, d — 50 µm, b — 20 µm.

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