Altered structural and functional integrity of the reproductive tissues in estradiol benzoate-treated intact male albino rats.

The effects of estradiol benzoate administration (50 micrograms/day/rat for 15 days) to healthy intact male albino rats of Holtzman strain were investigated. Estradiol benzoate (E2B) treatment caused significant reduction in androgen-target tissues, viz., testis, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle, and ventral prostate. This led to alterations in the milieu of the epididymis and vas deferens rendering them hostile for sperm maturation, motility, metabolism, and survival as is evident by reduced sperm motility, alterations in their morphology, and the resulting loss of fertility. The reduction in sperm counts are correlated with decrease in weight, atrophy of testis, and arrest of spermatogenesis. It is evident that E2B treatment to adult intact, male rats manifested antiandrogenic and antifertility effects mainly by directly affecting the testicular structural and functional integrity in support of earlier data. Studies on induction of functional sterility after E2B treatment are called for.