Effect of Aqueous Extract from Morinda officinalis F. C. How on Microwave-Induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testis Axis Impairment in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Figure 5

Effects of different parts of aqueous extract on histopathological changes in testis and epididymis. In testicular H&E staining (Figures 5(a)–5(d)), the normal control group showed well-arranged spermatogenic cell series (red arrow) and an abundance of sperms in the seminiferous tubule (yellow arrow) at 200x magnification; the microwave exposure model group showed wide spaces between each seminiferous tubule, a significant decrease in the seminiferous tubule diameter, fewer sperms in seminiferous tubule (yellow arrow), degeneration of spermatocyte/spermatogonia, and cell debris in ducts (red arrow) at 200x magnification; the water layer fraction of aqueous extract 40 g/kg group showed complete spermatogenic cell series and almost normal sperm counts at 200x magnification; the ethyl acetate layer fraction of aqueous extract 40 g/kg group showed necrosis and desquamate spermatogenic cells at 200x magnification. In epididymal H&E staining (Figures 5(e)–5(h) at 200x magnification), the normal control group showed an abundance of normal sperms in the epididymal ducts (yellow arrow); the microwave exposure model group showed no sperms except for many fallen spermatogenic cells or cell debris in the ducts (yellow arrow); the water layer fraction of aqueous extract 40 g/kg group showed increased quantity of sperms and rare exfoliated cells in the epididymal ducts (yellow arrow); the ethyl acetate layer fraction of aqueous extract 40 g/kg group showed only many exfoliated cells and no sperms in the epididymal ducts (yellow arrow).