Effects of Vitamin C on reproductive parameters of rabbit bucks with experimentally induced metronidazole toxicity

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of Vitamin C on the reproductive parameters of rabbit bucks experimentally exposed to metronidazole. Twenty (20) adult rabbit bucks were used for the study. The animals were grouped into four groups of five animals each as follows; Group I are the untreated control, group II were administered metronidazole 400mg/kg/day for 30 days, group III were administered 400mg/kg/day of metronidazole for 30days and Vitamin C 200mg/kg/day for 30days and group IV were administered Vitamin C 200mg/kg/day for 30days. The body weight of the animals was taken before and after the experiment. Semen samples were collected from each buck through the use of an improvised artificial vagina (AV) and analysed using standard procedure. The testes and epididymis from three of the rabbits in each group were used for sperm reserve analyses. The obtained data were analysed with Graphpad Prism version 5.0.3 and presented as Mean ± SEM using ANOVA. Values of P ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. The study found no significant (P > 0.05) difference in the body weight of the bucks but found significant (P < 0.05) difference in the testicular and epididymal weight, sperm motility, spermatozoz concentration, percentage sperm livability, percentage sperm abnormalities and gonadal and epididymal sperm reserve of rabbit bucks exposed to metronidazole which were reversed by vitamin C. Rabbit bucks showed reproductive damage at therapeutic metronidazole doses and the effects improved with vitamin C administration. Antioxidants (Vitamin C) may be clinically relevant in reproductive toxicity.