Combined Protective Effects of Quercetin, Rutin, and Gallic Acid against Cadmium-Induced Testicular Damages in Young-Adult Rats

Figure 7

The histopathological features in Cd-intoxicated testes included reduction of germ cell layers (starred), germ cell aplasia, thin basement membrane (arrow with dotted lines), undefined lumen (Lu), atrophied tubular epithelium (arrow), and vacuolated epithelium (arrowhead), whereas the testis damages were significantly alleviated by the coadministration of quercetin, gallic acid, and rutin either in combination or separately to Cd-intoxicated rats. Some histologic features in these groups included few vacuolated epithelia (dotted circles) and few germ cell layers (GCs). As expected, most of the seminiferous tubules in the control animals are without damage and showed normal spermatogenic activity. Some Leydig cells were presented in the interstitial spaces between neighbouring tubules of the testes. ST = seminiferous tubules; ISP = intertubular spaces; SPG = spermatogonia; SPT = spermatocytes; RS = round spermatids; hematoxylin and eosin; smaller Mag., larger Mag.