PD217 - IMPACT OF MODERATE ETHANOL CONSUMPTION ON TESTICULAR MORPHOLOGY IN ADULT SWISS MICE

PD217

IMPACT OF MODERATE ETHANOL CONSUMPTION ON TESTICULAR MORPHOLOGY IN ADULT SWISS MICE

C. Barnabé¹, E. Carlos¹, D. de Souza¹, F. Sampaio¹, B. Romana-Souza¹, B. Gregorio^1,*

¹UERJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rationale: High doses of alcohol induce male reproductive toxicities. However, little is known about the moderate ethanol intake on the testes. So we aimed to evaluate the effect of moderate ethanol consumption on the testes morphology in adult Swiss mice.

Methods: After CEUA approved (no. 015/2024), 7-week-old male Swiss mice were divided into 2 groups: control (C, n=17) and ethanol (E, n=16). For 8 weeks, animals from both groups were subjected to an adapted binge drinking model. C group received maltodextrin (3g/kg) at a 40% concentration, and E group were treated with alcohol (3g/kg) at the same concentration, both administered in two weekly doses. Food intake and body mass data were measured weekly. At the eutanasia, testes were collected for histomorphometrical analyses.

Results: Body mass and testicle weight were similar between the groups. However, ethanol promoted a reduction in seminiferous tubule diameter (5%) (p=0.0052) and in seminiferous epithelium height (8%) (p=0.0019) when compared to control animals.

Conclusion: Originally, moderate alcohol intake did not alter biometric parameters. However, it contributed to negatively impacting testicular morphology. Further study of Sertoli cells, as well as cells of the spermatogenic lineage, will still be conducted. Sertoli cells are the key supportive cells for spermatogenesis and they are very receptive to modification. Certainly, it is necessary to identify novel mechanisms of male infertility in alcoholism, so that more effective therapeutic effects can emerge.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared