Purpose: The primary toxic effects of methotrexate (MTX) are myelosuppression and/or intestinal mucositis. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of MTX on germ cell apoptosis and spermatogenesis in a rat.
Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three experimental groups: control rats treated with vehicle; MTX-2 rats treated with one dose (20 μg/kg) of MTX given IP and killed on the second day; and MTX rats treated with IP MTX (20 μg/kg) and killed on day 4.