Detection of Sperm Dna Damage in a Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Model in Rats

Abstract

The structure, function and size of the prostate gland affect fertility, so infertility may develop in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Androgen levels have an important role in BPH pathogenesis. We administered testosterone (3 or 5 mg/kg daily for 30 days) to rats to study the effects on sperm parameters and sperm DNA damage. We found sperm motility to be decreased in testosterone-treated groups compared to control groups (p=0.006) and testosterone significantly increased the proportion of abnormal sperm (p=0.001). There were no significant differences in sperm density between the groups (p>0.05) but there was significantly more sperm DNA damage in testosterone-treated groups (p<0.001). We conclude that testosterone can cause sperm DNA damage in a dose- and time-dependent manner.