The histopathological effects of animal tallow and vegetable oil on male reproductive system of rats

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of beef tallow and sunflower oil on testis tissue in rats. Fifteen male albino rats at four weeks of age and weighing between 35 g to 38 g were used and divided into three groups (5 rats each). The control group was fed standard diet while, the experimental groups were fed either sunflower oil-enriched diet or beef tallow-enriched diet. After four weeks, histopathological analysis was performed. Testis sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin to investigate the histopathological alterations. The histopathological investigation showed irregular shape of seminiferous tubules and there were some vacuoles within the germ cells. Also, degeneration of several seminiferous tubules was observed in beef tallow group compared with control and sunflower oil groups. In conclusion, addition of beef tallow to growing rats caused several histopathological alterations in testicular tissues. The continuous consumption of high dietary fat can potentially cause detectable alterations on rat testes that negatively influence on sperm function and leading to fertility problems.