Anatomy-histopathologic and ultrastructure of turkey’s testis (Meleagris gallopavo) treated with furazolidone in its diets

Abstract

Furazolidone (Fz) is a nitrofuran member used as a preventive or therapeutic drug in poultry productions. Notwithstanding, it produces damages in reproductive variables. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Fz on the testicular anatomic-histopathology and ultrastructure of turkeys treated with the drug since the first day of life. Twenty-two one-day-old male turkey were randomly assigned to receive or not Furazolidone in the diet at 0.04% w/w for 45 weeks. Macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural morphology of the testis were analyzed. Localized cysts and normal testicular tissue were observed macroscopically in the treated group. Microscopically these cysts presented dilated seminiferous tubules with only Sertoli cells, without germinal line and interstitial tissue was compressed. An important lipid degeneration and necrotic cells were sawed at an electronic microscope. In the macroscopically normal-appearing areas, the cells of the germinal line delayed presented lipid vacuoles. An inter and intra lipidic degeneration, basal lamina increased, pyknotic cells and protein fibrils bundles. It can be concluded that Furazolidone in the diet at 0.04% w/w during 45 weeks produces cystic patch with lipidic degeneration (inter and intratubular) and germinal line loss and normal testicular tissue with a delayed germinal line in turkeys.