Interventional effect of combined vitamin on testicular dysplasia induced by di-(2-ethylhcxyl) phthalate

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of a combination of vitamins E and C on testicular dysplasia induced by di-(2-ethylhcxyl)phthalate (DEHP) in rats. Methods Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups of corn oil control, DEHP exposure, vitamin E, vitamin C and combined vitamins E & C. Gastric administration started from PND1 to PND30.Drug doses: DEHP 500 mg/kg, vitamin E 200 mg/kg, vitamin C 100 mg/kg.At PND36, after anesthetizing, anogenital distance (AGD) was measured for calculating anogenital index (AGI) and hematoxylin eosin staining performed for observing testicle histomorphological change.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed for detecting the concentrations of testosterone.And SOD and Nrf2 protein expressions in testes were detected by Western blot. Results Compared with control group, AGD and AGI decreased significantly in DEHP exposure and vitamin C groups, but were markedly higher in combined group (P<0.05). Subsequently, the structure of seminiferous tubule was disorderly in DEHP group.Polarity became lost, epithelium atrophied severely and the number of spermatogenic cells decreased greatly with exfoliation and interstitial hyperplasia; Morphology of testicular tissue in vitamin E or vitamin C group also had a varying degree of damage, the number of spermatogenic cells decreased and interstitial partial hyperplasia; The testis lumen structures of combined group were well preserved.ELISA showed that testosterone concentration was higher obviously in combined group.The expressions of SOD and Nrf2 were up-regulated markedly in DEHP group (P<0.05) and SOD expression decreased sharply in combined group (P<0.05). Nrf2 had no statistical difference among other groups. Conclusions A combination of vitamins E and C may be more effective in reducing oxidative stress, improving testicular dysplasia caused by environmental endocrine disruptors and alleviating cell necrosis when compared with using one kind of antioxidants.And Nrf2 signaling pathway may play an important role. Key words: Testis; Oxidative stress injury; Vitamin E; Vitamin C