Original Research Article
Year: 2016 | Month: November | Volume: 6 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 38-48
Postnatal Exposure to High Altitude Hypoxia Induces Developmental Changes in Rat Testis
Heitham Mutwakil Mohammed1, Asim M.Abdalla2, Samy Ismail Ahmed3*, Assad Ali Rezigalla4
1Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.
2Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.
3*Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Najran University, Saudi Arabia.
4Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Bisha University, Saudi Arabia.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Samy Ismail Ahmed
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Recently, there are great concerns regarding effects of high altitude hypoxia on postnatal rat testicular development which intern may affects spermatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effect of high altitude hypoxia on plasma hormonal levels and haematocrit values.
Method: This study was carried out at two different altitudes in the southern Saudi Arabia. Sixty neonate’s wistar rats were divided into two groups; control group (24) rats and hypoxic group (36) rats. Control Rats subdivided into six subgroups while hypoxic rats were subdivided into six groups. Blood samples were taken directly from the eye orbital vein. Hormonal levels and haematocrit values were measured on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 45.
Result: Testosterone secretion in hypoxic rats compared to control showed marked reduction after postnatal day 21. Whereas, levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) measured at weeks 4, 5 and 6 of high altitude (HA) rats were decreased significantly as compared to their corresponding levels measured at low altitude (LA). This study showed a weekly gradual increase in serum levels of this hormone during the first 6 weeks of postnatal development of control rats. While, the value of cortisol obtained in any week was significantly higher than its value of the preceding week. Moreover, significant reductions in Haematocrit (Hct) percentages were reported from week 2 to 6 in HA rats more than in LA rats.
Conclusion: that postnatal exposure to high altitude hypoxia adversely affects testicular hormones level and Haematocrit values.
Key words: high altitude, hypoxia, postnatal, serum, haematocrit.