Abstract
BackgroundThe organophosphorus (OP) pesticide malathion is a highly neurotoxic compound, leading to cholinergic syndrome. Malathion produces reproductive toxicity.ObjectivesTo investigate the protective effects of curcumin on the testicular toxicity induced in male mice orally administrated with malathion.Materials and methodsForty-eight mature male mice were used. The mice were divided into four groups, 12 mice each, and treated for 4 weeks as follows: the control (G1), curcumin-treated group (G2), malathion-treated group (G3), and the curcumin plus malathion-treated group (G4). At the end of the experiment, the mice were sacrificed and dissected, and tissue samples were obtained and antioxidant parameters were examined. Tissue samples were also histopathologicaly and immunohistochemically assessed. Samples of blood were collected for assessing the levels of serum hormones, namely follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE).ResultsMalathion exposure caused a decrease in serum testosterone and LH levels and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) and elevation of oxidative stress marker (MDA). Histological changes were as well observed in the form of maturation abnormalities, intratubular necrosis, and inflammatory infiltrate in malathion-treated mice. Co-administration of curcumin with malathion reduced lipid peroxidation (LPO) activity and improved spermatogenesis and increased catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and testosterone levels.ConclusionThe current study showed that curcumin could ameliorate the elevated concentration of lipid peroxidation products, increase the levels of antioxidative markers, and improve the pathological changes in the testis induced by malathion administration. The capacity of curcumin to work as antioxidant supposedly relates to its structure.
Highlights
The organophosphorus (OP) pesticide malathion is a highly neurotoxic compound, leading to cholinergic syndrome
The current study showed that curcumin could ameliorate the elevated concentration of lipid peroxidation products, increase the levels of antioxidative markers, and improve the pathological changes in the testis induced by malathion administration
Effects of malathion and curcumin on body weight gain and testis weights As can be seen from Table 1, the relative body weight is significantly decreased in malathion-treated group (p < 0.05) and the animals regain their weight gains after the co-administration of curcumin with malathion in group 4, and the body weights become near those of the control group (p > 0.05)
Summary
The organophosphorus (OP) pesticide malathion is a highly neurotoxic compound, leading to cholinergic syndrome. The widespread use of the organophosphorus (OP) pesticide (malathion) in agricultural and household applications and the high rates of food contamination can lead to exposure of humans to high levels of this toxic chemical (Babu et al 2006; dos Santos et al 2011; Salama et al 2015; Ibrahim et al 2011). Exposure to malathion [O, O-dimethyl-S-(1,2-dicarbethoxyethyl) phosphorodithioate] causes distinct cytopathological and histopathological changes in the male mammal’s reproductive system. The ability of organophosphorus compounds including malathion to cross the blood–testis barrier accounts for the damage that affect the testis (Nahid et al 2016). The testicular biological membranes are damaged by malathion through oxidative stress mechanism and lipid peroxidation induction (Geng et al 2015)
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