Acute diethyl nitrosamine and cadmium co‐exposure exacerbates deficits in endocrine balance, sperm characteristics and antioxidant defence mechanisms in testes of pubertal rats

The protective impact of hesperidin against carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism, via enhancement of inflammatory cytokines, histopathological alterations, and Nrf2/HO-1

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative effects of hesperidin (HSP) and eltroxin (ELT) on hypothyroidism (HPO) induced by carbimazole (CBZ) in white male albino rats. Thirty-two adult rats were categorized into four groups: Group 1, no treatment (control); Group II, treated with CBZ (20 mg/kg); Group III, treated with HSP (200 mg/kg) + CBZ; and Group IV, treated with ELT (0.045 mg/kg) + CBZ. All treatments were provided as oral daily doses for 90 days. Thyroid hypofunction was significantly manifested in Group II. However, increased levels of thyroid hormones, antioxidant enzymes, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, heme oxygenase 1, and interleukin (IL)-10, and a decrease in the level of the thyroid-stimulating hormone were observed in Groups III and IV. On the contrary, decreased levels of lipid peroxidation, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor α, IL-17, and cyclooxygenase 2 were detected in groups III and IV. The histopathological and ultrastructural findings were ameliorated in Groups III and IV; on the contrary, Group II presented with significant increases in the height and number of layers of the follicular cells. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated a marked increase in thyroglobulin and significant decreases in the levels of nuclear factor kappa B and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in Groups III and IV. These results confirmed the effectiveness of HSP as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiproliferative agent in rats with hypothyroidism. Additional studies are required to assess its potential as a novel agent against HPO.

Nitrate in Maternal Drinking Water during Pregnancy and Measures of Male Fecundity in Adult Sons

Animal studies indicate deleterious effects of nitrate exposure on fecundity, but effects in humans are unknown, both for the prenatal and postnatal periods. We aimed to investigate if exposure to nitrate in maternal drinking water during the sensitive period of fetal life is associated with measures of fecundity in the adult sons. In a sub-analysis, the potential effects of nitrate exposure in adulthood were investigated. This cohort included 985 young adult men enrolled in The Fetal Programming of Semen Quality Cohort (FEPOS). Semen characteristics, testes volume and reproductive hormones were analyzed in relation to nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water, using a negative binomial regression model. The nitrate concentration in drinking water was obtained from monitoring data from Danish waterworks that were linked with the mothers' residential address during pregnancy. The median nitrate concentration in maternal drinking water was 2 mg/L. At these low exposure levels, which are far below the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline value of 50 mg/L, we did not find indications of harmful effects of nitrate on the investigated measures of male fecundity.

An In vitro study on the protective effect of melatonin on human sperm parameters treated by cadmium

Background:

Male infertility account for nearly 50% of infertility cases. Cadmium is regarded as a well-known toxic metal for industrial applications; high amounts of cadmium in the human body can result in chronic toxicity. Melatonin as a free radical scavenger has anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer and antiapoptotic functions.

Aim:

In this work, we evaluated the protective effect of melatonin on human sperm parameters treated by cadmium.

Study Setting and Design:

This was an experimental study carried out from May to December 2019.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 41 fresh semen samples were collected from fertile men and were divided into 4 groups: (1) control, (2) sperm +25 Nm cd, (3) sperm +25 nM cd +0.1 mM melatonin,(4) sperm +0.1 mM melatonin treated for 60 min. In all groups, semen analysis was performed for motility, viability and DNA fragmentation index (DFI).

Statistical Analysis:

The groups were compared using the ANOVA test.

Results:

The group treated with cadmium showed a significant decrease in rapid and slow motility, and survival rate compared with the control group (P < 0.05). However, the degree of DFI and sperm with non-progressive motility in the group treated with cadmium had a significant increase compared to the control (P < 0.05). The use of melatonin significantly improved sperm parameters such as motility, survival rate and decreased sperm DFI with non-progressive motility.

Conclusions:

The use of melatonin reduces the amount of cadmium damage in human sperm in vitro.

Indole-3-propionic acid mitigates chlorpyrifos-mediated neurotoxicity by modulating cholinergic and redox-regulatory systems, inflammatory stress, apoptotic responses and DNA damage in rats

This study probed the neuroprotective influence of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) in rats exposed to chlorpyrifos (CPF) alone at 5 mg/kg body weight or co-administered with IPA at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg for 14 days. Behavioral data indicated that IPA significantly (p < 0.05) abated CPF-mediated anxiogenic-like behaviors with concomitant improvement in the locomotor and exploratory behaviors as substantiated by track plots and heat maps data. Also, IPA mitigated CPF-mediated diminution in cholinergic and antioxidant defense systems whereas it markedly improved thioredoxin level and thioredoxin reductase activity in cerebral and cerebellar tissues of the animals. Co-administration of IPA significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 but suppressed oxidative and inflammatory stress, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation with concomitant reduction in 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level and histological damage. Collectively, IPA-mediated neuroprotection involves modulation of cholinergic and redox-regulatory systems, inflammatory stress, apoptotic responses and DNA damage in cerebrum and cerebellum of rats.

Coadministration of gallic acid abates zearalenone-mediated defects in male rat's reproductive function

As gallic acid (GA) role in zearalenone (ZEN); mediated reproductive dysfunction has not been studied, we report on GA's effect on reproductive dysfunction in rats treated with ZEN-100 µg/kg alone, or with GA-40 mg/kg; for 4 weeks. The mycotoxin ZEN contaminates crops, causing toxicity on ingestion, economic losses, and alters reproductive function. Relative to control, GA reversed ZEN-induced reduction of rats' testicular function enzymes and reproductive hormones and improved ZEN-impaired sperm quality. GA significantly (p < 0.05) increased rats antioxidant status, inhibited (p < 0.05) reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and lipid peroxidation levels, and abated (p < 0.05) proinflammatory biomarkers in the examined organs: hypothalamus, testis, and epididymis. Histopathology revealed that GA facilitated the preservation of testicular and epididymal cytoarchitecture significantly altered in rat cohorts treated with ZEN alone. Conclusively, GA protected against ZEN-induced toxicity in the rats' organs examined, enhanced endogenous antioxidative protective mechanism, and abated proinflammatory responses. GA further averted a decline in circulatory, reproductive enzymes, hormone levels. GA also protected against reproductive tissue damage and improved parameters of sperm functionality.

Physiological Roles of Red Carrot Methanolic Extract and Vitamin E to Abrogate Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Challenge and Apoptosis in Rat Testes: Involvement of the Bax/Bcl-2 Ratio

The precise analysis of the contents of the red carrot is still ambiguous and its role in the maintenance of male fertility needs to be further reconnoitered. Hence, this study targets the physiological impacts of either red carrot methanolic extract (RCME) or vitamin E (Vit. E), co-administrated with cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) on rat testes, specifically those concerned with apoptosis and oxidative challenge. Four groups of adult male rats (n = 12) are used; control, CdCl₂, CdCl₂ + Vit. E and CdCl₂ + RCME. LC-MS analysis of RCME reveals the presence of 20 different phytochemical compounds. Our data clarify the deleterious effects of CdCl₂ on testicular weights, semen quality, serum hormonal profile, oxidative markers and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Histopathological changes in testicular, prostatic and semen vesicle glandular tissues are also observed. Interestingly, our data clearly demonstrate that co-administration of either RCME or Vit. E with CdCl₂ significantly succeeded in the modulation (p < 0.05) of all of these negative effects. The most striking is that they were potent enough to modulate the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as well as having the ability to correct the impaired semen picture, oxidant status and hormonal profile. Thus, RCME and Vit. E could be used as effective prophylactic treatments to protect the male reproductive physiology against CdCl₂ insult.

Decrease in reproductive dysfunction using aflatoxin B1 exposure: a treatment with 3-indolepropionic acid in albino Wistar rat

We assessed the individual and combined consequence of 3-indolepropionic acid on aflatoxin B1-induced reproductive toxicity in rats. The experimental cohorts were dosed for four consecutive weeks with aflatoxin B1 (50 μg/kg), 3-indolepropionic acid (50 mg/kg), and both (aflatoxin B1: 50 μg/kg + 3-indolepropionic acid: 25 or 50 mg/kg), and the untreated control. Following sacrifice, biomarkers of testicular, epididymal and hypothalamic oxidative status, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, nitric oxide levels and myeloperoxidase activity were determined. Besides, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were also assessed. Aflatoxin B1-induced testicular, epididymal and hypothalamic oxidative stress was significantly alleviated with 3-indolepropionic acid co-treatment. Also, increases in biomarkers of oxidative stress and reduced levels of antioxidants were abated significantly in rats co-treated with 3-indolepropionic acid. Aflatoxin B1-mediated increase in tumour necrosis factor-alpha, Bax, nitric oxide and myeloperoxidase activity in the examined organs was decreased significantly in aflatoxin B1 and 3-indolepropionic acid co-treated rats. Also, 3-indolepropionic acid dose dependently reduced Bcl-2 levels in the treated rats. The degree of aflatoxin B1-induced histopathological injuries was minimised in rats co-treated with 3-indolepropionic acid. Our results demonstrated that 3-indolepropionic acid protected experimental rats from aflatoxin B1-induced oxido-inflammatory stress and apoptotic response in the examined organs.

N-acetyl cysteine co-treatment abates perfluorooctanoic acid-induced reproductive toxicity in male rats

Perfluorooctanoic acid is a synthetic perfluoroalkyl-persistent in the environment and toxic to humans. N-acetylcysteine is a pro-drug of both amino acid l-cysteine and glutathione-a non-enzymatic antioxidant. N-acetylcysteine serves as an antidote for paracetamol poisoning and alleviates cellular oxidative and inflammatory stressors. We investigated N-acetylcysteine role against reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats (weight: 140-220 g; 10 weeks old) posed by perfluorooctanoic acid exposure. Randomised rat cohorts were dosed both with perfluorooctanoic acid (5 mg/kg; p.o) or co-dosed with N-acetylcysteine (25 and 50 mg/kg p.o) for 28 days. Sperm physiognomies, biomarkers of testicular function and reproductive hormones, oxidative stress and inflammation were evaluated. Co-treatment with N-acetylcysteine significantly (p < .05) reversed perfluorooctanoic acid-mediated decreases in reproductive enzyme activities, and adverse effect on testosterone, luteinising and follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations. N-acetylcysteine treatment alone, improved sperm motility, count and viability, and reduced total sperm abnormalities. Co-treatment with N-acetylcysteine mitigated perfluorooctanoic acid-induced alterations in sperm function parameters. N-acetylcysteine abated (p < .05) perfluorooctanoic acid-induced oxidative stress in experimental rats testes and epididymis, and generally improved antioxidant enzyme activities and cellular thiol levels. Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine suppressed inflammatory responses and remedied perfluorooctanoic acid-mediated histological injuries in rat. Cooperatively, N-acetylcysteine enhanced reproductive function in perfluorooctanoic acid dosed rats, by lessening oxidative and nitrative stressors and mitigated inflammatory responses in the examined organ.