Impairment of testicular maturation in potassium depleted pre-pubertal rats.

Abstract

When maintained on a potassium deficient diet 21 day-old weanling rats ceased to grow. At the end of 3 weeks, the testes were small and the diameter of seminiferous tubules was reduced. The reduction of the tubular diameter resulted mainly from a decrease in the number of cells, chiefly spermatids. An occasional tubule contained a few scattered spermatozoa. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells contained an increased number of lipid droplets as well as phagocytosed degenerative cells. Spermatids, conspicuously fewer in number, showed abnormal forms and did not mature beyond the early acrosomic phase. It appeared then, that potassium deficiency in immature rats not only arrested growth but largely prevented spermatogenesis. This probably resulted from a widespread inhibition of pituitary trophin function. Also, the deleterious effects on spermatids could be due to local lack of potassium which is present in high concentration in normal seminiferous tubular lumen.