Abstract
The present study was focussed on examining the influence of reproductive function in rats kept in lamp light and continuous darkness conditions with different dietary tocopherol respectively (Toc-supplement group, Toc-nonsupplement group). dl-Alpha-tocopheryl acetate was used for the dietary tocopherol. Male rats of Sprague-Dawley strain were fed the diets for 45 days. The following are results of our experiment.
1) The weight of the accessory reproductive organs were significantly decreased in Toc-nonsupplement group under continuous darkness condition, but the decreasing was restrained in Toc-supplement group under continuous darkness condition.
2) It was not observed that growth of spermatocyte and spermatid in Toc-nonsupplement group under lamp light and continuous darkness conditions. On the other hand, it was observed in Toc-supplement group under lamp light and even continuous darkness conditions.
3) Total-tocopherol in plasma of rats kept in continuous darkness condition was realized tendency of the decreasing.
4) From these results, it was suggested that alpha-tocopherol have influence on maturity of the genital organs of rats which were restrained by continuous darkness condition.
