Background: Analysis of human reports and comparison with results of exper-imental animals indicate that the effects of progesterone on human not analo-gous to experimental animals fetus, many studies showed that exposure to pro-gesterone during developing of genital tract of human fetus was not teratogenic. Other studies which performed on laboratory animals found association between progesterone administration during gestation and genital malformation. Objectives: to explore the effect of progesterone in 10.2mg/kg intraperitoneal injection in mice on testis development and anogenital distance. Materials and Methods: ten pregnant mice divided into five mouse control group that injected10.2mg/kg sesame oil and treated group that injected proges-terone at dose 10.2mg/kg/day allover gestation to the seventh day postnatally, mice offspring sacrificed, the anogenital distance, weight and diameter of testis were measured ,histological slides were prepared and examined for histopatho-logical change and measurement of seminiferous tubules diameter, germinal epithelium thickness and interstitial space were done . Results: the current study found anogenital distance decrement and histopatho-logical changes in mice offspring testis as hemorrhage or congestion of blood vessels ,irregular shapes of seminiferous tubules with atrophy, detachment of spermatogenic cells from basement membrane, death of spermatogenic cells and destruction of Sertoli and leydig cells ,it is also showed wider interstitial tissue and thinner germinal epithelium. Conclusions: The present study indicate study that progesterone injected in mice at dose 10.2 mg/kg /day (the equivalent human dose allover gestation was em-bryotoxic and teratogenic, it may cause feminization of male offsprings repre-sented by decrement the anogenital distance in mice and hypospadias in human .
Background: Carnitines are widely distributed in nature and their potential health benefits have been popularized. The carnitines exert a substantial antioxidant action. It is often sold as a nutritional supplement. The use of carnitine showed some promise in treatment of male infertility. Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine (LC) administered to pregnant mice on some reproductive parameters of male offspring. Methods: Ninety mature male offspring mice (age: 6 weeks) were divided originally into two groups depending on the pregnant mothers were administered either 0.5 mg/Kg L-carnitine (Treated group) or distilled water (Control group) throughout pregnancy period. Whole body and testicular weight, diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickness of spermatogenic cell layers, levels of serum gonadotropins and sperm parameters were assessed. Results: In the present study, weight of whole body and testes of the male mice offspring group where mothers treated with 0.5 mg/Kg L-carnitine throughout gestation period was significantly increased (P<0.05) as compared to the control group. Further, significant increment (P<0.05) was observed in the thickness of spermatogenic cell layers and diameter of seminiferous tubules for the treated group as compared to the control group. Also, levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing hormone (LH) in the treated group showed significant elevation (P<0.05) as compared to the control group. Sperm parameters for the treated group were enhanced significantly (P<0.05) as compared to the control group. Conclusion: Administration of low dose of L-carnitine to pregnant mice improved reproductive performance of male offspring. Further molecular studies are recommended to investigate the effects of L-carnitine administered to pregnant mice on quality and quantity of acrosomal enzymes for male offspring.