Abstract
BackgroundCisplatin (CP), an effective anticancer agent, carries the risk of impairing testicular function leading to infertility. The present study aimed at evaluating the protective effect of A. hydaspica ethyl acetate extract (AHE) against CP-induced oxidative stress and testicular injuries in rats.MethodsRats were divided into six groups (n = 6). Group I (control), group II (CP single dose on day 16). Group III received AHE for 21 days. Group IV (CP + AHE; post- treatment group). Group V (AHE + CP; pre-treatment group) and group VI (CP + Sily).ResultsCP treatment reduced serum testosterone (T), LH and FSH, decreased the activity level of antioxidant enzymes while increased the concentration of oxidative stress markers, i.e. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), H2O2 and nitric oxide (NO) along with corresponding DNA damages. Furthermore, CP induced adverse morphological changes in testis of rats including reduced epithelial height and tubular diameter, increased luminal diameter with impaired spermatogenesis. Pre and post-treatment with AHE reduced the side effects of CP in testis tissues through improvement in the reproductive hormonal secretions, enzymatic activities, histological and DNA damage parameters. Pretreatment seems to be more effective and equivalent to silymarin group in reversing the CP deleterious effects as compared to post-treatment.ConclusionThe results demonstrated that A. hydaspica treatment in CP-induced testicular toxicity augments the antioxidants defense mechanism, reverted the level of fertility hormones, suppressed the histomorphological alterations and DNA damages and thus provides the evidence that it may have a therapeutic role in free radical mediated diseases.
Highlights
Cisplatin (CP), an effective anticancer agent, carries the risk of impairing testicular function leading to infertility
No death was witnessed in any treatment group during the experimental period
No significant change in testicular weight was recorded in AHE and control groups (Fig. 2d), suggesting that there was no toxicity associated with AHE dosage
Summary
Cisplatin (CP), an effective anticancer agent, carries the risk of impairing testicular function leading to infertility. Within the human body protection against oxidative stress is achieved by self-defense enzymes that catalytically remove the free radicals and other reactive species. These include; superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase [11], whereas CP decreases the functioning of these enzymes, thereby inducing oxidative damages in testicular tissue [12, 13]. Current chemotherapeutic agents are mostly non-selective in their efficacy and kill dividing cells rapidly including cancer, normal and stem cells. Such injurious agents effect spermatogenic cells and fallouts in men infertility [14]. Plants possess a wide range of constituents which are capable of preventing various oxidative stress related ailments, including male reproductive disorders [18], frequently administered in recipes with chemotherapeutic drugs to give enhanced protection against their side effects [19]
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