Influence of Vitamin C and Vitamin E on testicular zinc content and testicular toxicity in lead exposed albino rats

Occupational and environmental exposures to lead remain a public health problem as lead alters physiological processes by inducing oxidative stress and mimicking divalent cations. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Vitamin C (VC) and Vitamin E (VE) on the reproductive function of...

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Published in:	BMC pharmacology & toxicology Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 17
Main Authors:	Ayinde, Oluseyi C, Ogunnowo, Sunday, Ogedegbe, Rita A
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BioMed Central Ltd 14-12-2012 BioMed Central
Subjects:	Administration, Oral Androgens Animals Antioxidants Antioxidants - metabolism Ascorbic acid Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage Ascorbic Acid - pharmacology Ascorbic Acid - therapeutic use Body weight Cations Degeneration Depletion Dissolved organic carbon Divalent cations Drug Therapy, Combination Environmental Pollutants - pharmacokinetics Environmental Pollutants - toxicity Enzymes Epithelium Exposure Follicle-stimulating hormone Glycoproteins Histology Lead - pharmacokinetics Lead - toxicity Lead content Lead Poisoning - metabolism Lead Poisoning - pathology Lead Poisoning - prevention & control Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects Lipids Luteinizing hormone Male Mimicry Morphology Motility Nitric oxide Oral administration Oxidative stress Oxidative Stress - drug effects Physiological aspects Physiology Proteins Public health Rats Rats, Sprague-Dawley Reproductive system Saline solutions Semen Sperm Sperm Count Sperm Motility - drug effects Spermatozoa Spermatozoa - drug effects Spermatozoa - pathology Statistical analysis Testes Testis - drug effects Testis - enzymology Testis - metabolism Testis - pathology Testosterone Tocopherol Toxicity Venture capital Vitamin C Vitamin E Vitamin E - administration & dosage Vitamin E - pharmacology Vitamin E - therapeutic use Zinc Zinc - metabolism
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Summary:	Occupational and environmental exposures to lead remain a public health problem as lead alters physiological processes by inducing oxidative stress and mimicking divalent cations. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Vitamin C (VC) and Vitamin E (VE) on the reproductive function of lead exposed male rats. Experimental animals were exposed to oral doses of lead, VC and VE at 60 mg/kg body weight, 40 mg/kg body weight, and 150 mg/kg body weight respectively, while control animals received 0.9% saline solution. Oral administration spanned for six weeks after which changes in testicular redox status, lead deposition, testicular zinc content, serum androgen content, semen quality and testis histology were examined. There were significant (p < 0.05) increases in oxidative stress indices and testicular lead content. A significant (p < 0.05) depletion of zinc in the testis of lead exposed animals was also observed. Fluctuations were observed in androgen levels of lead treated animals with a significant increase (p < 0.05) in Serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (TT) content, while there was no significant change in luteinizing hormone (LH) content. Testicular tissue showed an alteration in its normal histology with degeneration of the seminiferous epithelium accompanied by a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the number of luminal spermatozoa. A downgrade in the semen appearance and semen quality -sperm motility, morphology, and count was also observed after lead exposure. VC and VE treatment showed a significant (p < 0.05) reversal of the physiological alteration induced by lead. Lead exposure resulted in a decline in the reproductive function of male rats by inducing oxidative stress, inhibiting enzymes and depleting testicular zinc contents. However, results clearly showed that VC and VE attenuated the deleterious impact of lead on the reproductive system.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23
ISSN:	2050-6511 2050-6511
DOI:	10.1186/2050-6511-13-17