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. 2023 May;9(3):1304-1312.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.1118. Epub 2023 Apr 12.

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

Liu Qingzhen  1   2 , Hu Yuping  3 , Zhang Lidong  2 , Zhang Junfeng  1
Affiliations

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

Liu Qingzhen et al. Vet Med Sci. 2023 May.

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The experimental flow chart (A) and the pups under anaesthesia (B).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The testicular size of rats in the two groups. The testicular size of rats in the sevoflurane anaesthesia group was not symmetrical compared with that in the control group, and there was a significant difference in testicular size in the sevoflurane group, suggesting that sevoflurane caused toxicological accumulation in the reproductive system, resulting in a decrease in reproductive ability (n = 10). The red arrow indicates the small testis and epididymis.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
The number of sperm from SD rats on the sperm counting board (the head of sperm in SD rats is sickle‐shaped). (A) The number of sperm in the control group was large. (B) The number of sperm in the sevoflurane group was significantly decreased. The red arrow indicates the sperm of SD rats.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Testicular tissue structure of rat pups exposed to sevoflurane compared to that of controls. (A) The testicular tissue cells in the control group of P9 rats were closely arranged and neatly arranged (A1, A2: control group). (B) The testicular tissue cells in the sevoflurane group of P9 rats were disorderly arranged and exhibited shedding in the middle. (B1, B2: sevoflurane group). The red arrow indicates the disorderly and exfoliated cells. A1, B1, scale bars: 50 μm; A2, B2, scale bars: 100 μm. Stain: HE, haematoxylin and eosin staining.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Testicular tissue structure of rats exposed to sevoflurane compared to that of controls. (n = 10). (A) The testicular tissue cells of the control group were arranged closely and neatly. (A1, A2: control group). (B) From the figure, we can see that after early exposure to sevoflurane, the testicular tissue in the sevoflurane group of adolescent SD rats was arranged in a disorderly manner and exfoliated in the middle. The red arrow indicates the disorderly and exfoliated cells. Scale bars: 100 μm. Stain: HE, haematoxylin and eosin staining.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
TUNEL staining for cell apoptosis of testicular tissue in the sevoflurane exposure and control groups (n = 10). (A) A1 and A2 show testicular cell apoptosis in the control group. (B) B1 and B2 show testicular cell apoptosis in the sevoflurane group. The brown cells are the apoptosis‐positive cells. The red arrow indicates apoptotic cells. **p < 0.01, compared with the control group, there was a significant difference. Scale bars: 50 μm. Stain: TUNEL assay.
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