Effect of Exogenous and Endogenous Glucocorticoids on the Spermatogenesis of Albino Rats; A Comparative Study ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 1,2 Department of Anatomy, Dow University of Health Sciences 3 Bahria University 4 Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College 5, Department of Pathology, 6, Department of Physiology, Dow University of Health Sciences Correspondence: Dr. Uzma Hameed Department of Anatomy, Dow University of Health Sciences Email: uzma.hameed001@gmail.com Date of Submission: 25 th November 2019 Date of Acceptance: 29 th October 2020 Abstract Objective: The objective of the present study was to compare the earlier possible effects of exog- enous and endogenous glucocorticoids on the spermatogenesis of albino rats. Methods: This comparative study was conducted in Baqai Medical University in the department of Anatomy from June till July 2016. Total 96 adult Sprague rats were used in this study obtained from Agha Khan University; their ages were between 10-12 weeks and their weight ranged between 180- 200 gms. Exogenous glucocorticoid were given through intra peritoneal route (i.p. route) at the dose of 1.2 mg/kg/body weight and for endogenous production of cortisol, they were kept in a plastic box daily which was thermostatically maintained at 44º C for 1 hour. They were divided into three main groups and the main group was further categorized into subgroups according to their number of days. The three main groups were; A (control), B (exogenous glucocorticoid) and C (endogenous glu- cocorticoid). They were sacrificed at the end of experiment, testes were removed and effects of exog- enous and endogenous glucocorticoids on the spermatogenesis were observed under the light microscope in H&E and PAS stained sections. Results: Spermatogenesis was assessed by Johnsons scoring which ranges from 10 to 1. In the control group, complete spermatogenesis was observed with Johnsons score 10 while in group B and C scores were in between 10-2 and 10-3, respectively. Conclusion: From the present study, we conclude that exogenous glucocorticoids cause earlier dam- age and effects all stages of spermatogenesis with decreased production of quality sperms. This ani- mal study will help to decrease infertility rate due to excessive and unnecessary use of glucocorticoids especially in the early years of life and by taking preventive measures when exposed to high temperatures. Keywords: Glucocorticoids, heat stress disorders, spermatogenesis, infertility. IRB: Approved by the Ethics Committee of Baqai Medical University. Ref. No. BMU-EC/2016-05. Dated: 11 th January 2017. Citation: Hameed U, Iqbal S, Rehman F, Hassan A, Memon AM, Mustafa S. Effect of Exogenous and Endogenous Glucocorticoids on the Spermatogenesis of Albino Rats; A Comparative Study [Online]. Annals ASH KMDC 2020;25: Introduction Testes are paired ovoid glandular organs present in the hollow sac of the scrotum 1 . Infertility could be caused by disrupted spermatogenesis that can occur due to undescended testes or raised temperature 2 . Spermatogenesis is a complex series of mitotic and meiotic cell divisions in the production of the mature sperm cell. Testes function under the influence of anterior pituitary hormones 3 and both testosterone and follicle stimulating hor- mones are required for spermatogenesis 4 . The pro- cess of spermatogenesis is also temperature dependent and occurs optimally at temperatures slightly lower than the body temperature. Increase in temperature has an effect on mammalian sper- matogenesis and resultant spermatozoa 5 . Cortisol is the principal circulating glucocorti- coid in the human body and is secreted under the control of the hypothalmo-pituitary-adrenal axis 6 . It 151 (ASH & KMDC 25(3):151;2020) Original Article Uzma Hameed 1 , Sadia Iqbal 2 , Fatima Rehman 3 , Aisha Hassan 4 , Ayesha Majeed Memon 5 , Sumera Mustafa 6 Annals Abbasi Shaheed Hospital & Karachi Medical & Dental College