Introduction. Excessive overheating of the testicles, caused by various factors including pathologies, is one of the reasons for the decline in male fertility. In patients with some forms of male infertility an increase in testicular mast cells has been observed, suggesting a link between these cells and fertility issues. This raises the possibility of correcting spermatogenesis disorders by modulating mast cells activity.
Objective. This study aims to investigate the effect of mast cell inactivation using mast cells blocker кetotifen on rat sperm at different maturation stages under high-temperature conditions.
Materials and methods. The experiment involved 5 groups of male Wistar rats: 1) intact group, 2 and 3) control and experimental groups subjected to repeated high temperature exposure (48 days, 43±1°C for 30 min daily), 4 and 5) control and experimental groups exposed to high temperatures while receiving ketotifen. Ejaculate and epididymal sperm were evaluated using spermogram analysis, and testosterone levels were measured, and testosterone level measurements were performed. Morphological analysis of spermatozoa was conducted using ImageJ 1.53t. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 9.5.1.
Results. Intact animals show differences in the morphological and physiological parameters of epididymal and ejaculate sperm. Repeated exposure to high temperature resulted in a significant decrease in sperm concentration, motility, and agglutination at all stages of maturation, while the percentage of defective cells increased. Mast cell inactivation maintains ejaculate and epididymal sperm parameters at control levels, indicating a beneficial effect of the drug on impaired spermatogenesis.
Conclusion. Inactivating mast cells with mast cells blocker ketotifen effectively neutralizes the adverse effects of high temperatures on spermatogenesis.
