Tidarat Chawalchitiporn; Sararat Innoi; Chadaporn Chaimontri; Chayakorn Taoto; Therachon Kamollerd; Pornpan Kerdsang; Nawaphon Koedbua, Wipawee Thukhammee; Chanasorn Poodendaen; Suthat Duangchit; Sitthichai Iamsaard & Arada Chaiyamoon.

Chronic stress (CS) with increased cortisol level is known as a risk factor to promote depressive-like behaviors and can cause many disorders including male infertility. Dexamethasone (DEXA), a synthetic corticosteroid medicine, is not only used to treat inflammation but also used to induce CS in animal models. Although DEXA has been shown to damage male reproductive parameters, its adverse effects on epididymis important for sperm maturation has never been reported. This study aimed to investigate the alterations of histology and protein expressions in epididymis induced with DEXA. Twenty adult male rats were divided into control and DEXA (1.5 mg/KgBW) groups by treating for 21 consecutive days (10 rats/ group). Chronic stress with depressive-like behaviors was determined with forced swimming and tail suspension tests. Histopathology, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and expressions of pro- caspases (3 and 9), androgen receptor (AR), and heat shock protein-70 (Hsp-70) in epididymis were examined. Results showed that weigh and sperm mass of caudal epididymis were reduced in DEXA rats with some cribriform change and hyperplasia of clear cells. DEXA significantly increased the epididymal epithelial cell height, muscular wall thickness, and MDA levels but no difference in collagen fiber area compared to control. Significantly, the procaspase 3 expression was decreased and AR tended to be low expressed in DEXA epididymis tissue. No different expressions of pro-caspase 9 and Hsp-70 were observed between groups. In conclusion, DEXA induced histopathology of cauda epididymis via lipid oxidation and caspase 3 activation. It could be used to explain the functional immaturity of epididymal sperm in CS male with depressive-like behavior.

KEY WORDS: Chronic stress; Dexamethasone; Cauda epididymis; Malondialdehyde; Caspase 3.

CHAWALCHITIPORN, T.; INNOI, S.; CHAIMONTRI, C.; TAOTO, C.; KAMOLLERD, T.; KERDSANG, P.; KOEDBUA, N.; THUKHAMMEE, W.;POODENDAEN, C.;DUANGCHIT, S.;IAMSAARD, S. & CHAIYAMOON.A.Histopathologyandchanges of pro-caspase 3 and androgen receptor expressions with increased MDA in epididymis of a depressive-like behavior rat model. Int. J. Morphol., 43(4):1321-1328, 2025.