Table 2 The seminiferous tubules diameter (μm), thickness of the epithelium (μm), area of seminiferous tubules (μm2) and area of seminiferous lumen/seminiferous tubules (%) in testis of rats fed different dose of PS-MP and probiotics after 49 days.

From: Probiotics as a therapeutic approach to alleviate reproductive harm from polystyrene microplastics in male rats

 

Con

MP-PS1

MP-PS5

MP-PS10

MP-PS10 + Pro

Pro

Seminiferous tubules diameter (μm)

331.80 ± 7.23a

382.33 ± 8.59bc

395.18 ± 10.23c

449.38 ± 16.16d

354.63 ± 11.99ab

325.84 ± 6.54a

Thickness of the epithelium (μm)

98.77 ± 3.47c

83.48 ± 3.10b

69.09 ± 5.17a

65.80 ± 1.49a

73.63 ± 3.45ab

94.69 ± 4.01c

Area of seminiferous tubules (μm2)

64,764.6 ± 2611.76a

78,647.04 ± 5009.71b

89,269.26 ± 4363.63c

105,889.92 ± 2952.33d

72,182.07 ± 2926.24ab

62,663.77 ± 1282.84a

Area of seminiferous lumen/tubules (%)

14.37 ± 1.50a

29.96 ± 2.26b

35.19 ± 2.36b

44.29 ± 1.63c

31.76 ± 2.05b

14.11 ± 0.92a

  1. Data are shown as the mean ± S.E.M. (n = 8 rats/group Con: control; MP-PS1:1 mg/kg Polystyrene microplastic (MP-PS) per day; MP-PS5: 5 mg/kg MP-PS per day; MP-PS10:10 mg/kg MP-PS per day; MP-PS10 + Pro: 10 mg/kg MP-PS + 108 number of probiotics per day; Pro: 108 number of probiotics. The values with different letters (a–c) represent significantly different (p < 0.05) as analyzed by Duncan’s multiple range test.