Abstract:
Testosterone undecanoate and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate combinations resulting in azoospermia
caused by apoptosis through activation of caspase-3 protein. The present study was designed to investigate
caspase-3 activation in rat testis germ cell after testosterone undecanoate and depot medroxyprogesterone
acetate administration and to analyze corelation between caspase-3 activation and rat sperm concentration.
The Sprague-Dawley rats was administered with 2,5 mg testosterone undecanoate at 6 week intervals and
1,25 mg depot medroxyprogesterone acetate at 12 week intervals. They were randomly divided into five
groups i.e K0 (pre-treatment), K1 (6 weeks suppression after induced), K2 (12 weeks suppression after
induced), K3 (18 weeks suppression after induced) and K4 (24 weeks suppression after induced). Each
treatment had a control. Activation of caspase-3 on testis was evaluated by Immunohistochemistry method.
Epididimal sperm concentrations was also calculated. The result of analysis of variants showed that there
were no statistical differences among five treatment (K0, K1, K2, K3 dan K4) (p>0,05). But there were
statistical differences between K3 and its control as well as K4 and its control (p<0,05). From data analysis
we found that there was correlation but not significant between caspase-3 germ cell which cause decreasing
of rat sperm concentration. Testosterone undecanoate and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate administration
can cause caspase-3 activation in rat testis germ cells. Increasing of caspase-3 activation can tendency
decrease of rat sperm concentration in 12 weeks suppression after induced.
