Protective Effect of Commercial Grade Vitamin C against Alcohol-induced Testicular Damage in Male Wistar Rats.

Abstract

Alcohol consumption has a negative effect on male fertility, but Vitamin C may be able to alleviate this effect. In this study, the protective effect of Vitamin C against alcohol-induced testicular damage in adult male Wistar rats was evaluated. This study was conducted in a University setting. Following a 14-day acclimatisation period, forty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight groups of five rats. The control group received only food and water, test group B received alcohol only, test group C to E received different doses of Vitamin C, test group F to G received different doses of Vitamin C and alcohol. After a 21-day treatment period, the testis were harvested and analysed for sperm parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, level of lipid peroxidation and histopathological changes. All analyses was performed using SPSS (version 16) and Microsoft Excel (2019) using Student's t-test. The results showed that in groups administered with alcohol only, there was a decrease in sperm count. Sperm motility, morphology, viability and antioxidant enzyme activity, but increase in the level of lipid peroxidation. In groups treated with Vitamin C and alcohol, there was improvement in the sperm parameters, antioxidant enzymes activity and a decrease and decrease in lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, in the histology of the testis, regenerative changes were seen. The chronic consumption of alcohol can have a deleterious effect on the testis, but commercial-grade Vitamin C can reverse these effects.