MORPHOMETRIC PARAMETERS OF TESTES OF 6- AND 12-MONTH-OLD WHITE OUTBRED RATS WITH LONG-TERM MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

The present study investigates the effects of long-term magnesium deficiency on the morphological and morphometric parameters of the testes in white outbred male rats. In the experimental model, structural alterations of testicular tissue were evaluated in 6- and 12-month-old animals maintained on a magnesium-deficient diet. At 6 months, dilation of seminiferous tubules, thinning of the spermatogenic epithelium, reduction of germ cell populations, and expansion of the interstitial compartment were observed. At 12 months, these alterations progressed and were characterized by thickening of the tunica albuginea, development of interstitial fibrosis, decreased Leydig cell density, and persistent suppression of spermatogenesis. The findings morphologically substantiate the development of chronic magnesium-deficiency-associated testiculopathy.