Long-Term Effect of Ciprofloxacin on Testicular Tissue: Evidence for Biochemical and Histochemical Changes

Background: This research studied the effect of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) on spermatogenesis. Weaimed to estimate the effect of CPFX on serum levels of testosterone, LH and FSH.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, a total of 24 mice were assigned to controlshamand test groups. We subdivided the test group into low (206 mg/kg) and high (412 mg/kg) doseCPFX groups. Control-sham animals received carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). All animals weretreated orally for 45 days. Cytoplasmic carbohydrate, lipid accumulation, cytoplasmic lipase andalkaline phosphatase (ALP) ratios were examined. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), folliclestimulating hormone (FSH ) and testosterone were measured in the control and test groups.Results: The spermatogenesis cell series exhibited low numbers of cells with periodic acid Schiff(PAS)-positive cytoplasm and higher numbers of cells with lipid-positive foci. The tissue to ALPratio and germinal epithelium (GE) lipase synthesis increased in CPFX-treated animals. In contrastto the CPFX groups, control animals showed normal cytoplasmic carbohydrate, lipid, lipase andALP ratios in all cellular layers. In the CPFX-treated groups there was a significantly lower serumtestosterone level compared with the control group. The serum levels of FSH and LH in high dosetreatedanimals decreased.Conclusion: Our results suggest that following long time CPFX administration major alterationsoccur in GE intracytoplasmic biochemistry, which may lead to loss of physiological function andultimately result in fertility problems. CPFX is able to imbalance serum levels of gonadotropins andtestosterone levels by affecting Leydig cells.