Histological analysis of testiculopathy induced by experimental babesiosis in mouse

The babesias are the second common blood parasites in mammalian after trypanosomes and babesiosis as an emerging zoonotic disease has caused great concern. The aim of this study was to examine testicular histological alterations following experimental babesiosis induction by Babesia bigemina in mouse.
In this experimental study, 24 adult male mice were randomly divided into four equal groups including untreated control, sham (receiving 2.0 ml normal saline intraperitoneally at the time of babesiosis induction), splenectomy and experimental babesiosis. Groups Experimental babesiosis was induced in splenectomized mice through 2.0 ml intraperitoneal injection of the infected heparinized blood sample belonging to a cow with confirmed B. bigemina infection. All animals were euthanized after 5 days and testicular histology was evaluated following confirmation of infection using microscopic and molecular analyses.
The experimental babesiosis caused a significant reduction in the cross-sectional area, quality, maturation and number of seminiferous tubules cross-sections as well as severe testicular morphological alterations such as distinct hypospermatogenesis and spermatogenic maturation arrest compared to control, sham and splenectomy groups.
Findings of this study show that B. bigemina infection can lead to testicular damage in mice probably through microcirculatory disruption and blood flow reduction.