Testicular damage from anabolic treatments with the beta(2)-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol in pigs: a light and electron microscope study

The morphological consequences of anabolic clenbuterol treatment on the testicular parenchyma were investigated in 30 pigs at morphological and ultrastructural levels. Clenbuterol was given with food (1 ppm). In the first group (n=10), treatment was maintained until slaughter (experimental period 3 months). In the second group (n=10), clenbuterol was withdrawn 2 weeks before slaughter (experimental period 2.5 months). A third group (n=10) of pigs not fed with clenbuterol served as controls. Animals were slaughtered at 9 months of age and samples of testicular parenchyma were collected for light and electron microscope studies. In the clenbuterol-treated groups, the interstitial cells showed a considerable increase in the organelles involved in testosterone production, with an increased development of the mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and lipid droplets compared to the control group. The seminal epithelium displayed many lipid vacuoles and evident signs of tubular involution, such as degenerating and multinucleate germ cells. Sertoli cells gave evidence of metabolic alterations such as large lipid deposits and cytolysosomes.