A Study of Effect of Progesterone on Epididymis in Albino Rats

Progesterone, an anti androgen compound that recently receiving attention for potential use as male contraceptive and for other medical purposes, such as treatment of prostate diseases. In the present study adult male albino rats were administered the progesterone for 15 &; 30 days and the histology and fine structures of the epididymis were studied. After treatments for 15 and 30 days sperms were found to greatly reduce in number from lumen of caput epididymis, middle segment and cauda epididymis, of severely affected specimen. The epithelium was tall and the light cells were large and distended with many dense bodies resembling lysosome (Loving &; Flickinger 1976)1. The lumen was filled with scanty sperm and debris, which appears to be derived from germ cells. It is suggested that the light cells of epididymal epithelium may have a role in clearing the lumen in which they are particularly large and numerous.The aim of present study is to determine the effect of progesterone on the structure of target cells of epididymis normally stimulated by androgens and further correlate the findings in light of previous studies, to draw the significant conclusion. The study showed that the progesterone have intense inhibitory effect on the epididymis. The degenerative histological findings are found in form of reduce number of spermatozoa, debris of cell mass &; reduce epithelial cells height. These changes may have an important role in the anti fertility effect of progesterone.