The effects of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) on sperm euality and spermatogenesis of male rats injected by testosterone enanthaie⁺)

The relationship of testosterone enanthate (TE) with azoospermia has been confirmed, but it is still not known whether its effect is also influenced by nutritional factor. Data of WHO⁵ and Waites⁶ showed that Caucasian and Mongolian men response differently to TE. It has been suggested that the difference in their eating pattern might cause higher susceptibility of the Mongolian to TE (90% azoospermia) compared to the Caucasian (only 50% azoospermia). This research was conducted to investigate the combination of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and TE injection on sperm quality and spermatogenesis of albino male rats. It is hypothesized that PEM male rats will show lower sperm quality and sperm quantity after injected by 1 mg TE once a week for eight weeks. The results of this*study car be concluded that, sperm concentration, normal sperm morphology and sperm viability were decreased, in both normal diet and PEM animal after TE injection; nevertheless there was no difference between the two groups. Testis weight diameter of the testis, diameter of the seminiferous tubule, the number of A-spermatogonium, and the number of pachytene spermatocyte were decreased in both normal diet and PEM animal after TE injection; but there was a difference between normal diet animals and PEM animals being lower in PEM animals.