Toxic effects caused by stainless steel corrosion products on mouse seminiferous cells.

Stainless steel type AISI 316L is widely used in orthopaedic surgery. The toxic effects of its corrosion products on the morphology of mouse seminiferous cells were investigated. Chemical elements from stainless steel were released into a physiological medium using an electrochemical method. This metallic solution was injected subcutaneously into male Charles River mice at 72 h intervals for 10 days. Electron microscopic observations of seminiferous tubule thin sections showed that the metallic suspension caused tissue vacuolation, cell degeneration, and multinucleated cell formation. This apparent tissue toxicity induced by stainless steel corrosion products suggests that long term implantation of such biomaterials may impair spermatogenesis.