Cadmium-induced changes in deer mouse seminiferous tubules

Twenty-four male deer mice, 10–12 weeks old, were exposed to drinking water containing cadmium chloride (CdCl2) at 20 ppm for 30 days. At that point, the weighed mice were sacrificed and testes were excised, weighed, and processed for routine histologic evaluation. Compared to control animals, there was no change in the body or testis weights of mice exposed to CdCl2. Tailless spermatozoa were observed in some seminiferous tubules of testes from CdCl2-treated mice. Some tubules of CdCl2-treated mice displayed exaggerated intercellular spaces; in certain tubules, this cellular separation was profound. There appeared to be a reduction in the number of Sertoli cells.