Abstract
Objective:To determine the impact of walnut oil on nitrite-induced testicular toxicity in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Available evidence suggests that walnut oil contains high levels of important unsaturated fatty acids including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and omega-3; nitrite is a reproductive toxicant that causes the loss of germ cells in the seminiferous tubules and generates oxidative stress in the testes, thus reducing sperm counts and affecting sperm morphology.Methods:This study included 24 male and 24 female adult SD rats. The male rats randomly assigned to Group A (controls) were given normal saline 2 ml/kg. The rats in Groups B, C, and D were given 50mg/kg body weight (bwt) of walnut oil, 0.08 mg/kg bwt of nitrite, and 0.08 mg/kg bwt of nitrite + 50 mg/kg of walnut oil respectively for 28 days via gastric gavage. Tested parameters included: testicular histology, sperm parameters, reproductive hormones, fertility, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione, and catalase (CAT).Results:A severe decrease in spermatogenic cell series, hypocellularity, tubular atrophy, decreased sperm quality, and increased MDA levels were observed in the rats given nitrite only when compared to controls. Rats given 50 mg/kg of walnut oil had significant growth of seminiferous epithelium compared to controls. The rats given walnut oil and nitrite had significant growth of seminiferous epithelium, improved sperm quality, and had decreased MDA levels.Conclusion:Walnut oil attenuated the deleterious effects of nitrite to the testes, reduced oxidative stress, and promoted spermatogenesis.
Highlights
Walnut oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for human nutrition (Iwamoto et al, 2002)
The present study focused on the salutary role of walnut oil in nitrite-induced testicular toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats
There were no significant differences in testis weight between the other groups
Summary
Walnut oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for human nutrition (Iwamoto et al, 2002). Studies have shown that walnut oil has antioxidant properties and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and inflammation, in addition to being useful in the treatment of skin diseases and high blood pressure (Labuckas et al, 2008; Fladman, 2002; Reiter et al, 2005). It has been reported that due to its high concentration of natural antioxidants, walnut can be consumed as a protection against certain types of cancer (Bostani et al, 2014). It may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (Miraliakbari & Shahidi, 2008; Yang et al, 2009)
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