International Journal of Advanced Scientific and Technical Research Issue 3 volume 2, March-April 2013 Available online on http://www.rspublication.com/ijst/index.html ISSN 2249-9954 Page 48 SODIUM SELENITE INDUCED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND HISTOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN TESTIS OF SWISS ALBINO MICE M. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy * , P. Sasikala, A. Karthik, K. Shivakumar Corresponding Author: Dr. M. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, Study Investigator Department of LPM, Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati-517502, Andhra Pradesh, India, Cell: +91-7396120530 Co- Authors : P. Sasikala, Dept. Of LPM, A. Karthik, Dept. of Microbiology. K. Shiva kumar Dept. Of Dairy Technology, Sri Venkateswar Veterinary University, Tirupati-17502, Andhra Pradesh, India. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: Selenium (Se) is present in the earth’s crust, often in association with sulfurcontaining minerals. It is normally found in concentrations of 50–90 μg/kg, but higher concentrations can be associated with some volcanic, sedimentary and carbonate Rocks. Selenium has long been recognized as essential trace element and is important in many biochemical and physiological processes. On the other hand, selenium showed a toxic effect depending on its concentration. Inorganic and organic selenium compounds have been showed to have chemo preventive and anticancer effects against mammary gland, colon, lung, pancreas, and skin tumors. Selenium has adverse reproductive and developmental effects (decreased rates of conception, increased rates of fetal resorption, the present study was planned to investigate the histopathological effects of selenium in the form of sodium selenite on the testicular tissues of Swiss albino mice. Selenium was orally administered at a dose level of 3.5 ppm daily for 6 weeks. Testes of animals treated with selenium showed reduction in the diameter of the seminiferous tubules as well as the germinal epithelial height. Moreover, the treatment induced many histopathological alterations including degeneration of the spermatogenic cells, destruction of intertubular connective tissue and hemorrhage revealed marked reduction in the