Tissue damage in the male murine reproductive system during experimental Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis

Chronic infection with Taenia crassiceps cysticerci in male mice increases the level of estradiol in serum, whereas it reduces that of testosterone. I n addition, male mice lose their typical male reproductive behavior. The ef fects of cysticerci infection on the histomorphology of male reproductive t issues are unknown. The present study was undertaken to determine the histo logical changes in testes, seminal vesicles, and prostate of male mice infe cted with T. crassiceps cysticerci. At 16 wk of infection, all tissues exhi bited high inflammatory infiltrate. Tissue lesions included marked dilation and peripheral fibrosis. In the testes, a diminution of spermiogenesis was observed. The overall results indicated that the histological changes in c hronically parasitized male mice occurred with changes in hormone levels, s imultaneously with the high inflammatory immune response.