Özet:

The Effect of Nicotine Exposure on Mice Testis Purpose: Cigarette smoking and tobacco is major preventable cause of death both developed and developing countries. Cigarette smoking contains of more than 4000 chemicals such as nicotine, heavy metals, carbon monoxide. Nicotine is known as a main hazardous substance and toxin in tobacco. Smoking and exposure to nicotine can cause cancers, chronic heart and respiratory system diseases and infertility. The aim of this study is to investigate of the effect of nicotine exposure on mice testis. In this experiment, a number of 24 male C57BL6J mice at the age of P60 were used. Our experimental design consist of 3 main groups as Naive Control, Sham and Nicotine groups (n=8/group). Nicotine group received subcutaneous injection of nicotine at a dose of 3 mg/kg, twice per day, for 14 consequent days. Paralelly, an iso-volumetric saline solution was also admistered to sham group. Naive controls were kept lack of any procedures until the harvesting days. Each group of mice testes were analysed for the body and testes weights, the diameter of and thickness of seminiferous tubules and expressions of Oct-4 protein was evaluated. Results: By the morphological values of evaluated seminiferous tubules of nicotine groups as compared to the controls were observed as at lower degrees. A similar trend was also observed in terms of the immunohistochemical assesment of Oct-4 protein expression. In conclusion, results indicate that nicotine has detrimental effect on the male reproductive organ and altered Oct-4 protein expression level. This work was supported by Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Mersin University (Project Number: 2017-1-AP4-2245). Key Words: Nicotine exposure, testis, spermatogenesis, male breeding, C57BL6J mice

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