Changes in reproductive organs, semen characteristics and intra-testicular oxidative stress in adult male rats caused by azithromycin

Mossad El-Sayed,Dalia Ebied,Mohamed Kandiel

doi:10.14419/ijpt.v5i2.7778

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the numerous azithromycin (as a member of macrolides) effects on the male reproductive organs, spermio-gram, testicular oxidative stress markers of adults’ male albino rats. Azithromycin was administered orally once daily to male rats (200-250 b.wt.) at a dose of 45 mg (therapeutic) or 90 mg/kg b.wt. (double-therapeutic) for three or six days and scarified at the first, thirty and sixty days after the last dose of administration. A significant decrease as the index weight of the reproductive organs as well as sperm motility, livability and cell concentration, but sperm abnormalities increased at varying times post-treatment with azithromycin administration. Testosterone hormone level did not vary significantly after azithromycin dosing for three days along the experimental period. However, it differed at the first day after the end of azithromycin dosing for six days. The intra-testicular oxidative stress alteration mostly occurred at the thirty-day post-treatment in the three- and six-days protocols. In the three-days protocol, there was a significant decrease in malondialdehyde level and superoxide dismutase enzyme activity in a double-therapeutic group. In the six-days regimen, there was an increased activity of catalase enzyme, accompanied with a significant decrease in malondialdehyde levels as well as glutathione peroxidase enzymes. Double therapeutic dose for six days’ treatment was associated with vascular congestion and perivascular inflammatory cells and ho-mogenous eosinophilic material infiltration into the stroma of testes. The lumen of seminiferous tubules and epididymis showed azoo-spermia. From these results, it could be concluded that azithromycin administration has hazard effects on male adult’s rats’ fertility governed with the spermiogram, oxidative stress and the histopathological alternations during the post-treatment period.

Highlights

Antibacterial agents are used for the treatment of many infections, cancer, protozoa and helminths
The effect of azithromycin dosage, at both therapeutic and doubletherapeutic levels, for three and six days on adult male rats' organs index weight is demonstrated in table 1
Oral administration of azithromycin for six days was not associated with significant differences in the testicular index weight along the experimental period, but it affected epididymal, vesicular and prostatic index weight at the thirty-day post-treatment

Summary

Introduction

Antibacterial agents are used for the treatment of many infections, cancer, protozoa and helminths. Macrolides have the potential to serve a unique role in the management of inflammatory lung disorders (Martinez et al 2008) and treatment of rhino sinusitis with or without lower respiratory tract disease due to their ability to modulate chronic inflammation (Cervin et al 2009). Azithromycin is a new 15-membered ring azalide antibiotic (Bright et al 1998), improved the potency against gram-negative organisms (Retsema et al.1987), and excellent in vivo activity against localized infections because of its high sustained tissue levels produced by azithromycin (Girard et al 1987&1990). The objective of the current study was to evaluate the architecture various effects of azithromycin on male rats’ reproductive organs histopathological structure or architecture and weights, spermiogram, testicular oxidative stress and testosterone level

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Conclusion