Abstract

Background:
Chemotherapy drugs, such as Docetaxel, which are crucial for treating cancer, frequently cause unknowingly damage to healthy tissues.

Aim:
To investigate the histomorphological effects of docetaxel chemotherapy on certain parameters in testes and epididymides.

Method:
For this purpose, 24 Wistar Albino rats were divided randomly into one control group and three treatment groups. The treatment groups were administered 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg of the drug. The experiment lasted for 28 days. The weights of the testes and epididymides were measured. The testicular and epididymal samples were subjected to histological analysis and were examined under a light microscope.

Results:
The results revealed that the dose of DX1 (2.5 mg/kg) of docetaxel had no adverse effect on the process of spermatogenesis; however, the highest doses of DX2 and DX3 penetrated the blood-testis barrier and disrupted the structural and functional system of spermatogenesis. The results of the present study indicate that the highest dose of docetaxel leads to adverse effects on testes, epididymides, and their fertility parameters. In addition, the testicular tissues of DX2 and DX3 displayed adverse histomorphological changes. The process of spermatogenesis was interrupted, and a progressive decrease in the height of the germinal epithelium was observed. On this basis, the weight of the testes and epididymides decreased.

Conclusion:
A dose of 2.5 mg/kg of Docetaxel was the drug of choice for chemotherapy. Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of Docetaxel on male fertility.

Key words: Docetaxel, Testis, Epididymis, Histomorphology, Wistar rat, Male fertility