Protective Role of Gallic Acid with Rutin or Quercetin on Testicular Glutathione and Histopathology in Rats Exposed to Busulfan

Abstract

Busulfan (BUS) is an alkylating agent used in chemotherapy that induces oxidative stress and testicular damage. This study investigates the protective effects of co-administering Gallic Acid (GAL) with Rutin (RUT) or Quercetin (QUE) against BUS-induced reductions in testicular glutathione (GSH) in Wistar rats. Thirty-two (32) male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, BUS only, BUS+GAL+RUT, and BUS+GAL+QUE. Over a 56-day treatment period, the rats were assessed for changes in GSH concentration and testicular histopathology. GSH levels were measured to evaluate oxidative stress, while histological evaluations were performed to assess spermatogenic recovery. BUS administration significantly reduced GSH concentration in the testis, indicating oxidative stress. Co-administration of GAL+RUT or GAL+ QUE reversed this decrease, restoring GSH levels to near-control values. Although there were no significant changes in testicular and body weight across groups, the histopathological analysis showed that GAL+QUE improved spermatogenesis recovery more effectively than GAL+RUT. Additionally, GAL+RUT exhibited more mature germ cells and potential for testicular repopulation. The co-administration of GAL+RUT or GAL+QUE effectively mitigates BUS-induced oxidative stress in rat testes, with GAL+QUE demonstrating superior recovery in spermatogenic function. These findings suggest that incorporating these flavonoid combinations could help reduce chemotherapy-induced testicular damage.