scholarly journals Pro-Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress Pathways which Compromise Sperm Motility and Survival May Be Altered by L-Carnitine

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel R. A. Abd-Allah ◽  
Gouda K. Helal ◽  
Abdulaziz A. Al-Yahya ◽  
Abdulaziz M. Aleisa ◽  
Salim S. Al-Rejaie ◽  
...  

The testis is an immunologically privileged organ. Sertoli cells can form a blood-testis barrier and protect sperm cells from self-immune system attacks. Spermatogenesis may be inhibited by severe illness, bacterial infections and chronic inflammatory diseases but the mechanism(s) is poorly understood. Our objective is to help in understanding such mechanism(s) to develop protective agents against temporary or permanent testicular dysfunction. Lipopolysaccaride (LPS) is used as a model of animal sepsis while L-carnitine (LCR) is used as a protective agent. A total of 60 male Swiss albino rats were divided into four groups (15/group). The control group received Saline; the 2ndgroup was given LCR (500 mg/kg i.p, once). The third group was treated with LPS (5 mg/kg i.p once) and the fourth group received LCR then LPS after three hours. From each group, five rats were used for histopathological examination. Biochemical parameters were assessed in the remaining ten rats. At the end of the experiment, animals were lightly anaesthetized with ether where blood samples were collected and testes were dissected on ice. Sperm count and motility were evaluated from cauda epididymis in each animal. Also, oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring testicular contents of reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-HDG, the DNA adduct for oxidative damage) in testicular DNA. The pro-inflammatory mediator nitric oxide (NO) in addition to lactate dehydrogenase (LDHx) isoenzyme-x activity as an indicator for normal spermatozoal metabolism were assessed in testicular homogenate. Serum interlukin (IL)-2 level was also assessed as a marker for T-helper cell function. The obtained data revealed that LPS induced marked reductions in sperm's count and motility, obstruction in seminiferous tubules, hypospermia and dilated congested blood vessels in testicular sections concomitant with decreased testicular GSH content and LDHx activity. Moreover, the testicular levels of MDA, 8-HDG (in testicular DNA) and NO as well as serum IL-2 level were increased. Administration of LCR before LPS returned both sperm count and motility to normal levels. Also, contents of testicular GSH, MDA, 8-HDG and NO returned back to the corresponding control values. In addition, serum IL-2 level as well as histological abnormalities were markedly improved in LCR + LPS-treated rats. In conclusion, LPS increased proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers in the testis leading to a marked testicular dysfunction. L-carnitine administration ameliorates these effects by antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory mechanisms suggesting a protective role against male infertility in severely infected or septic patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1762-1777

Doxorubicin (DOX) is effective chemotherapy in several malignancies, but large-scale toxicities limit its clinical usefulness. Propolis has been reported to exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities. We aim to assess the protective efficacy of propolis against DOX-induced multi-toxicity in female rats. Forty female rats were divided into four groups: control group; Group (P) were administrated oral propolis (100 mg/kg once daily for 28 days); Group (P+DOX) were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of DOX (20 mg/kg i.p at 24th day after the propolis administration) and group (DOX) were injected with doxorubicin only. Estimation of cardiac, renal and hepatic injury markers, apoptosis and pro-inflammatory cytokines were done using sera. Also, liver and heart tissue samples were collected to determine GSH and MDA as oxidative stress markers. In addition to histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of Cytochrome-C and Connexin43 on lysed myocardium, liver, kidney and lung tissues. Doxorubicin toxicity caused marked deteriorations of measured parameters through the different mechanisms in different body organs. However, pre-treatment with propolis significantly ameliorated these alterations. Thus propolis can ameliorate the DOX-induced experimental multi-toxicity as cardiomyopathy, hepatotoxicity, nephritis and pneumonia. Thus, it could be a promising protective agent in DOX treatment protocols.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled M. M. Koriem ◽  
Rowan E. Soliman

Methamphetamine intoxication can cause acute hepatic failure. Chlorogenic and caftaric acids are the major dietary polyphenols present in various foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective role of chlorogenic and caftaric acids in liver toxicity and oxidative stress induced by methamphetamine in rats. Thirty-two male albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups. Group 1, which was control group, was injected (i.p) with saline (1 mL/kg) twice a day over seven-day period. Groups 2, 3, and 4 were injected (i.p) with methamphetamine (10 mg/kg) twice a day over seven-day period, where groups 3 and 4 were injected (i.p) with 60 mg/kg chlorogenic acid and 40 mg/kg caftaric acid, respectively, one day before methamphetamine injections. Methamphetamine increased serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. Also, malondialdehyde in serum, liver, and brain and plasma and liver nitric oxide levels were increased while methamphetamine induced a significant decrease in serum total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, brain serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, blood and liver superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels. Chlorogenic and caftaric acids prior to methamphetamine injections restored all the above parameters to normal values. In conclusion, chlorogenic and caftaric acids before methamphetamine injections prevented liver toxicity and oxidative stress where chlorogenic acid was more effective.


Author(s):  
Anica Petkovic ◽  
Marko Ravic ◽  
Sasa Plecevic ◽  
Jovana Jeremic ◽  
Ivan Srejovic ◽  
...  

Abstract Hypertension presents one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Structural and mechanical changes of the heart and blood vessels as well as overproduction of reactive oxygen species may occur due to the increased blood pressure. Therewith, the goal of our study was to estimate the effects and duration of swimming as a possible therapy approach on blood pressure and oxidative stress parameters in normotensive and hypertensive rats. The study was conducted on 60 male Wistar albino rats divided into two groups, normotensive and hypertensive rats. Each of these groups was divided into three subgroups according to the swimming protocol. The swimming training was kept constant (60 min/day, for five days a week) with two days of rest. After six or nine weeks of the swimming protocol, blood pressure and oxidative stress markers were measured. The control group rats were put in water for one minute a day, in order to avoid water-induced stress. Training significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in hypertensive rats, while diastolic pressure did not change in the group that swam six or nine weeks. The results showed that swimming increases the activity of all measured antioxidative parameters, while values of prooxidants varied depending on the training protocol. Our results confirmed that swimming, as an aerobic exercise, decreases blood pressure and has time-dependent positive system adaptations, especially on the antioxidant parameters.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubina Iqbal ◽  
Saud Iqbal ◽  
Iram Atta

AbstractObjectives:  The objective of this research work was to observe the testicular morphological changes produced by fluoroquinolones in the reproductive organs of adult male albino rats, and to see whether these changes are reversible after discontinuation of the drugs.Materials and Method:  Eighty adult male albino rats weighing 200 – 300 gms were randomly selected and divided into four groups i.e. A, B, C & D, having 20 animals in each group. A, B & C, were the experimental groups & D served as control group. All the groups were further divided into sub groups 1 & 2. Three fluoroquinolones i.e. Ciprofloxacin (135 mg / kg / day), Ofloxacin (75 mg / kg / day) & Enoxacin (12.5 mg / kg/ day) were given to the groups A, B & C respectively for 42 days. Animals of group D received dis-tilled water only. Animals of sub groups A1, B1, C1 &D1 were sacrificed on 42nd day and testicular tissue was obtained for morphological study. Animals of subgroups A2, B2, C2 & D2 were sacrificed on 84th day and testicular tissue for morphological changes was taken. No of leydig cells, height of epithelium and diameter of seminiferous tubules were taken as experimental parameters for morphological changes.Results:  The study indicated statistically significant (P < 0.05) decrease in height of epithelium, diameter of seminiferous tubules and no. of leydig cells in experimental groups as compared to the control groups.Conclusion:  The changes observed in morphology could lead to decrease in sperm count and testosterone levels. This study suggests gonadotoxic potentials of fluoroquinolones and adds concern to the indiscriminate and widespread use of fluoroquinolones and recommends more rational use of these drugs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khadijeh Mirzaei Khorramabadi ◽  
Ali Reza Talebi ◽  
Abolghasem Abbasi Sarcheshmeh ◽  
Aghdas Mirjalili

Background: Generation of free radicals and oxidative stress are a major contributorto diabetes. These factors lead to the development of diabetic testicles disorders.Objective: In this study, the protective effect of vitamin E on functional disordersassociated with diabetes induced oxidative stress in male reproductive systems hasbeen investigated.Materials and Methods: Thirty-three adult male Mice were divided into control,diabetic, and untreated diabetic groups. Streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes.In the treated group, vitamin E was given to the Mice intraperitoneally for 30 days.Then, animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. Animal testicles were isolated andhomogenized in phosphate buffer and used for measuring sperm count, motility andsurvival of sperm, MDA concentration and antioxidant capacity (TAC). Apoptosis wasalso performed with the TUNEL test.Results: The results of reduction (12.03±98.11) TAC, MDA concentration (–28.5±2.58),sperm motility (unstable sperma= 86.4±7.48), sperm count (171.51), Sperm morphology(natural morphology= 49.69±31.93) and abnormal morphology (9.77±49.7)with increased oxidative damage. These changes were statistically significant incomparison with the control group for all variables other than MDA (p= 0.05). Treatmentof vitamin E diabetic Mice improved the ability of antioxidants to prevent oxidativedamage in the testicles, restore the sperm movement, and increase the number ofnormal sperm as well as TAC. The level of apoptosis in the treated group has decreasedcompared to the untreated group.Conclusion: Vitamin E protects the reproductive system against diabetes mellitus.Therefore, it was concluded that vitamin E may be a suitable agent for protecting thesperm and testicular parameters against undesirable effects of diabetes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 1997
Author(s):  
M. DÜZ ◽  
A. F. FIDAN

The present study was carried out to determine the effects of sub-chronic thinner addiction on the oxidant-antioxidant balance and oxidative stress on certain tissues and the possible protective effect of safranal against thinner toxication in rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 animals each as follows: control (C), safranal (S), thinner (T) and thinner+safranal (T+S). The control group received 1cc saline by gastric gavage. Safranal was administered to S and T+S groups by using gastric gavage at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day and volume of 0.1 mL/kg/day. Thinner inhalation was applied to T and T+S groups in a container with NaOH tablets twice a day. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NOx) metabolites, total antioxidant capacity (TAS) and total oxidant capacity (TOS) were determined in liver, lung, brain, kidney and testis tissues of the rats. In the T+S group, it was observed that the MDA levels significantly decreased in all tissues, except the kidney, in comparison to the thinner inhalation group (p = 0.000). When the NOx levels of the T+S group were compared with the levels of the T group, it was concluded that there existed a statistically significant decrease in the NOx levels in alltissues (p = 0.000). In T+S group, it was observed that safranal either eliminated or mitigated oxidative stress that developed in tissues through decreasing MDA and TOS levels and increasing GSH and TAS levels and caused significant decreases in NOX levels in all tissues. As a result, it was determined that safranal, although not uniform for all tissue types, had a protective potential against the damaging effects of oxidative stress caused by sub-chronic thinner inhalation.


Author(s):  
Eman Abd Elhafeez ◽  
Amal Halawa ◽  
Mohamed Hamed ◽  
Mamdouh Abouelmaged

Objective: To evaluate the potential hazards of cadmium and/or chromium on the reproductive system of adult male albino rat. Design: Randomized controlled study. Animals: Forty mature male albino rats weighing 260 ± 10 g. Procedures: Rats were allocated into four groups (ten animals each). Control group (group 1), group 2 received 4.4 mg kg-1 cadmium chloride, group 3 was given 2.5 mg kg-1 sodium dichromate and group 4 received combination of Cd (2.2 mg kg-1) and Cr (1.25mg kg-1) orally, once daily for 65 consecutive days. Results: Exposure to Cd or Cr, in particular their combination, caused a reduction in the index weights of testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle and prostate glands. They induced a reduction of sperm count and viability with an increase of abnormal sperm morphology. Interestingly, in the combination group (Cd and Cr together), the deleterious effects were more noticeable. Pathologically, both Cd and Cr produced degenerative changes in seminiferous tubules, necrosis of spermatogenic epithelium within the testis. Moreover, the interstitial tissue of epididymis showed marked edema and prostate showed necrosis and serous exudate of lining epithelium. In the interaction group, testis showed complete degenerative changes and necrosis of spermatogenic epithelium, with marked interstitial edema and hyperplastic epithelial lining of epididymal tubules. Conclusion and clinical relevance: The present results support the hypothesis that the testis is one of the most sensitive organs to Cd and/or Cr and that the exposure to any of them or to their combination lead to testicular damage and thereby male infertility.


Toxics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Mahendra K. Pant ◽  
Abul H. Ahmad ◽  
Manisha Naithani ◽  
Hari S. Pandey ◽  
Monika Pandey ◽  
...  

Bisphenol A (BPA) is leached out from plastic infant feeding bottles that are filled with warm milk/water due to high temperatures, exposing the infants to BPA. The present study aims to understand the effects of ingestion of BPA leached from plastic infant feeding bottle and delineate the underlying mechanisms in rats. In this study, adult rats of Wistar strain were divided into 3 groups. In the first group, the rats consumed normal food and tap water ad libitum. In the second group, the rats ingested BPA (20 µg/kg bodyweight/day, orally). In the third group, the rats drank water leached from plastic infant feeding bottles. After 30days, tests involving biochemical parameters, histopathological examination, and oxidative stress enzyme markers were performed, and the levels of BPA in plastic-leached water were estimated by HPLC analysis. There were significant biochemical changes in the form of increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine kinase-muscle/brain (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in both treated groups as compared to control group, accompanied by structural damage to the vital organs, and lipid peroxidation, glutathione reductase, and catalase activity were also high in the treated groups. Further, the BPA concentration in plastic leached water was estimated to be 0.1 ± 0.02 µg/mL.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 983-990 ◽  
Author(s):  
MG Helal ◽  
SE Ayoub ◽  
WF Elkashefand ◽  
TM Ibrahim

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered a risk factor for hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, there is critical need to develop novel cheap and effective therapeutic approaches to prevent and reverse NAFLD. Caffeine is commonly consumed beverage and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study examined whether caffeine can ameliorate liver injury induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Four groups of rats were used and treated for 16 weeks as follows: control group, rats were fed a standard diet; HFD group, rats were fed HFD; and caffeine 20 and caffeine 30 groups, rats were fed HFD for 16 weeks in addition to different doses of caffeine (20 or 30 mg/kg, respectively) for last 8 weeks. The HFD-induced liver injury is determined biochemically by evaluating serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, bilirubin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and by histopathological examination. Tissue malondialdehyde, total nitrate/nitrite, and glutathione concentration were also measured. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique was used to determine the expression of lipogenic enzyme genes. Caffeine treatment significantly decreased the elevated serum ALT, AST, and bilirubin and increased the reduced albumin level. Interestingly, the hepatic mRNA expression of Fatty acid synthase and acetyl CoA carboxylase was decreased by caffeine, while the protein expression of hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 and proliferation-activated receptor α was increased. Furthermore, caffeine reduced tissue lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. These effects suggest that caffeine could improve HFD-induced hepatic injury by suppressing inflammatory response and oxidative stress and regulating hepatic de novo lipogenesis and β-oxidation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal A Halawa ◽  
Mohamed A El-Adl ◽  
Mohamed F Hamed ◽  
Ahmed Z Balboula ◽  
Mohammed A Elmetwally

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of gram negative bacteria. LPS challenging allows switching transcription of proinflammatory cytokines on via over stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) signaling pathway with subsequent pathogenic inflammatory response. We investigated the possible reproductive toxicity of LPS in male Wister albino rats. Oxidative stress markers, antioxidant status and caspase-3 activity were analyzed in testicular tissues of rats exposed to either saline or LPS (4 mg/kg BW, ip; 0.18 of the LD50). The samples were collected at 6 h and 72 h after injection of LPS. A significant reduction in testicular reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was observed at 72 h compared to control group. Total antioxidant capacity was decreased at 6 h with additional significant reduction at 72 h. Catalase activity was reduced significantly at both 6 and 72 h. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased (P ≤ 0.05) in LPS injected rats without variation between 6 and 72 h. A significant increase in nitric oxide (NO) was observed at 72 h after injection. A time-dependent increase in LPS-treated groups was observed in the concentration of caspase-3.Histopathological analysis revealed degenerative changes and necrosis of seminiferous tubules after 6 h with further accumulation of eosinophilic edematous transudate in its lumen after 72 h. In conclusion, by increasing time of exposure, LPS induced lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, reduced testicular antioxidant capacity and encouraged testicular apoptosis which could be possible mechanisms for impairment of testicular function.


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