Search

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of ethanol extract of Punica granatum L. peel (PGE) on oxidative stress and histopathological values in blood and testis tissue in rats with diabetes. In present study used twenty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four equal groups containing of seven rats per group. Group 1; peros physiological saline to the rat, Group 2; STZ 60 mg/kg/IP single dose, Group 3; PGE 10 mg/kg/20days/peros, Group 4; STZ as 60 mg/kg/IP + PGE 10 mg/kg/20days/peros. After the end of the experimental procedure, the rats were sacrificed, blood and testicular tissues were taken, and biochemical and histopathological examinations were performed. The administration of PGE was shown that the activities of CAT, SOD, GPx and GSH increased and the levels of MDA decreased in diabetic rats. Oral administration of PGE reduced the levels of LPO and improved the antioxidant activity in plasma and testis tissues while compared with the Groups 4. Histopathological examination of testicular tissues in the Group 2 is revealed edema in the intertubular spaces, thinning of the tubule walls due to diminished spermatocytes in the walls of the seminiferous tubules and severe degenerative and necrotic changes in spermatocytes. These changes were found to be very mild in Group 4. According to immunohistochemical findings, in Group 2, caspase 3 expression was intensely expressed in spermatocytes. As a result, it was observed that Punica granatum L. peel extract strengthened antioxidant defense and reduced oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic metalloid. Carvacrol (CAR) is the active ingredient of Lamiaceae plants and has various biological and pharmacological properties. The present study investigated the protective effects of carvacrol (CAR) against testicular toxicity induced by sodium arsenite (SA). Rats were given SA (10 mg/kg) and/or CAR (25 or 50 mg/kg) for 14 days. Semen analyzes showed that CAR increased sperm motility and decreased the percentage of abnormal and dead sperm. It was determined that the oxidative stress induced by SA decreased with the increase of Nrf-2 and HO-1 expressions, SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH levels, and MDA levels decreased after CAR treatment. It was observed that autophagy and inflammation triggered by SA in testicular tissue were alleviated by suppressing the expressions of LC3A, LC3B, MAPK-14, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS, and COX-2 biomarkers in rats given CAR. Also, CAR treatment suppressed SA-induced apoptosis by inhibiting Bax and Caspase-3 expressions in testicles and up-regulating Bcl-2 expression. Histopathological analyzes showed that rats given SA had deterioration in tubule structure and spermatogenesis cell line, especially a serious loss of spermatogonia cells, atrophy of seminiferous tubules, and deterioration of germinal epithelium. In the group given CAR, the germinal epithelium and connective tissue were in normal morphological structure and an increase in seminiferous tubule diameters was observed. As a result, it was determined that oxidative stress, inflammation, autophagy, and apoptosis induced by SA were suppressed by CAR, thus protecting the testicular tissue from damage and increasing semen quality.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different doses of hydrated C-60 fullerene (C(60)HyFn) nanoparticles on ram semen during cool storage at 5 degrees C. Semen samples were collected from 7 healthy Akkaraman rams by artificial vagina during nonbreeding season (April) 3 times for two weeks (3 replications), and samples having good initial sperm motility (> 70 %) and count (> 2 billion / mL) were pooled and diluted with tris-egg yolk based extender at 37 degrees C. Then, the diluted semen samples were divided into 15 aliquots control and 14 different C(60)HyFn groups (25 nM, 50 nM, 100 nM, 200 nM, 400 nM, 800 nM, 1 mu M, 5 mu M, 10 mu M, 20 mu M, 40 mu M, 60 mu M, 80 mu M, and 100 mu M), and stored at 5 degrees C up to 144th h. The motility (total, progressive, rapid, medium, slow, and static), kinematic (VCL, VSL, VAP, LIN, STR, WOB, ALH, and BCF), and some other spermatological parameters (dead, abnormal, damaged acrosome, and membrane intactness) were examined at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144th h. All C(60)HyFn doses except 25 nM, 50 nM, 60 mu M, 80 mu M, and 100 mu M had numerically higher total and progressive motility, membrane intactness and numerically lower static, dead and total abnormal spermatozoon ratios at the end of 144th h than control. The differences between 400 nM dose and control in membrane intactness, and also between 400, 800 nM doses and control in dead spermatozoon ratio were statistically significant (P < 0.0125). In conclusion, it is suggested that supplementation of any doses of C(60)HyFn between 100 nM and 40 mu M may be beneficial to keep some spermatological parameters at high level during the short-term storage of ram semen at 5 degrees C.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the changes in testicular tissue and cell count, testicular oxidative stress and some metabolic blood parameters of male broiler Japanese quails fed with high energy diet and milk thistle (Silybum marianum) seed. One hundred-twenty male 15-day-old Japanese quail chicks were divided into 4 equal groups with 30 each. The applications in each group were repeated 3 times with 10 animals each. Control group was fed with basal diet. Milk thistle seed group was fed with diet including 1% milk thistle seed. High energy diet group was fed with high energy diet including 10% corn syrup. High energy diet + milk thistle seed group was fed with high energy diet including 10% corn syrup along with 1% milk thistle seed. The feeding period in all groups was 35 days. When the quails reached 50 days old, a total of 48, 12 from each group (4 from each replication) were euthanized and blood samples and testes were collected. Compared with the control group, significant increases in body weight, serum cholesterol and glucose level, aspartate aminotransferase activity and testicular malondialdehyde level; however, significant decreases in serum testosterone level, testicular glutathione peroxidase activity, counts of round and elongated spermatid and sperm as well as histopathologically, significant decreases in seminiferous tubular diameter and seminiferous epithelium thickness, and marked disorganization in germinal cells were determined in quails fed with high energy diet. It was observed that almost all of the disturbances in testicular tissue, cell number, oxidant-antioxidant balance and metabolic blood parameters caused by feeding with high energy diet were significantly prevented by supplementation of milk thistle seed to the diet with high energy. On the other hand, alone milk thistle seed and high energy diet + milk thistle seed administrations decreased body weight in comparison to control and high energy diet groups. As a result, feeding with high energy diet causes disturbances in testes of male quails by affecting liver metabolic functions and testicular oxidant-antioxidant balance, but milk thistle seed addition to diet plays a protective role.

Background: The present study investigated the protective effects of carvacrol (CAR) against testicular toxicity induced by sodium arsenite (SA). Methods and Results: Rats were given SA and/or CAR for 14 days. Semen analyzes showed that CAR increased sperm motility and decreased the percentage of anarmol and dead sperm. It was determined that the oxidative stress induced by SA decreased with the increase of Nrf-2 and HO-1 expressions, SOD, CAT, GPx and GSH levels, and MDA levels decreased after CAR treatment. It was observed that autophagy and inflammation triggered by SA in testicular tissue were alleviated by suppressing the expressions of LC3A, LC3B, MAPK-14, NF-kB, TNF-a, IL-1b, iNOS and COX-2 biomarkers in rats given CAR. CAR treatment protected against apoptosis by suppressing Bax and Caspase-3 expressions and triggering Bcl-2 expression in testicles. Conclusions: As a result, it was seen that CAR could provide protection against SA-induced damage in testicular tissues of rats.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydrated carbon 60 fullerene (C(60)HyFn) on ram semen quality during cryopreservation. Three ejaculates from each of seven Akkaraman rams were collected using an artificial vagina during the nonbreeding season and pooled. Pooled semen samples were divided into 10 equal parts and diluted with tris + egg yolk extender not containing (control) and containing 100, 200, 400, and 800 nM and 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mu M C(60)HyFn at 37 degrees C. After addition of 5% glycerol and an equilibration process for 3 hours, the samples were frozen in 0.25-mL straws in an automatic freezing device at -140 degrees C and stored in a liquid nitrogen container. Straws were thawed 24 hours after freezing and analyzed immediately with no incubation period. Motility, kinematic parameters, abnormality, vitality, hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST), and oxidative stress levels were analyzed in thawed semen. Compared with the control, 200, 400, and 800 nM and 1 and 5 mu M C(60)HyFn doses increased motility and HOST values and decreased the dead sperm rate. When compared with the control, addition of C(60)HyFn significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels (between 200 nM and 40 mu M doses) and significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (between 800 nM and 40 mu M doses) and catalase (between 1 and 40 mu M doses) activities. In conclusion, results of this study show that the C(60)HyFn nanoparticles are nontoxic to ram semen and their supplementation in the extender is beneficial to sperm motility and membrane integrity after freeze-thawing.

Male reproductive dysfunction is one of the damages in the organism caused by heavy metals. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the changes in heavy metal levels in serum and testicular tissue, and serum hormone levels, epididymal spermatozoa characteristics, tissue oxidative stress levels, testicular histology and testicular apoptosis level in rams raised in remote and near regions of a thermal power plant. A total of 75 rams were divided into 3 groups according to the regions, where they were born and raised, being far [250 km distance, group 1 (control), n = 25], close (20 km distance, group 2, n = 25) and very close (10 km distance, group 3, n = 25) to the thermal power plant. The blood along with testis and epididymis tissues was taken from the animals after slaughtering. In addition, soil and water heavy metal analyzes were also performed. The highest levels of serum Al, Cr, As, Ag, Sn and testicular Al, V, Ni, Ag, Cd, Cr, As, Pb, and the lowest levels of serum Cu, testicular Cu and Zn were determined in group 3 compared to control. Soil and water heavy metal results were similar to those found in serum and testis. The lowest serum testosterone level, tissue glutathione-peroxidase and catalase activities, spermatozoon concentration, and the highest tissue malondialdehyde level, dead spermatozoon rate, Bax apoptotic protein expression level and Bax/Bcl-2 rate alongside some testicular histopathological lesions were found in group 3 in comparison to control. Significant correlations were determined between some heavy metal levels and some parameters measured. As a result, heavy metals accumulate in the soil and water in the region close to the thermal power plant. The endocrine and exocrine reproductive potentials of rams born and grown in these regions were clearly damaged by the increased testicular heavy metals due to water drank and herbs consumed.