Protective effects of ascorbic acid on busulfan-induced oxidative damage and testicular function in Wistar rats
摘要
The efficiency of ascorbic acid (ASCB) as an antioxidant protective drug is affected by the treatment model utilized. Our previous studies showed that ASCB co-treatment does not protect the testis of rats in a busulfan model of testicular injury. This study compared the effect of ASCB in a pretreatment, post-treatment, and co-treatment models of busulfan-induced testicular injury. Forty Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups of 8 animals per each group: control, busulfan (10 mg kg−1 body weight (bw) injected intraperitoneally on day 14); ASCB pre-treatment (100 mg kg−1 bw for 14 days before busulfan injection begins on day 14, and then ASCB oral gavage continued until end of study); ASCB co-treatment (100 mg kg−1 bw of ASCB administered concurrently with busulfan, 10 mg kg−1 bw); and post-treatment (100 mg kg−1 bw of ASCB was administered 14 days after busulfan injection, 10 mg kg−1 bw) on day 1. In all treatment models, ASCB treatment continues for 39 days when the study was terminated. At the end of the study, ASCB pre-treatment increased glutathione concentration; improved sperm motility, count, and morphology; and decreased catalase activity, lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation relative to the busulfan values (P < 0.05). ASCB co-treatment reduced superoxide dismutase activity, decreased H2O2 generation, and increased catalase activity and nitrite concentration much more than busulfan values, whereas ASCB post-treatment decreased gonadosomatic index, absolute testis weight, and testicular glutathione concentration, and increased DNA damage. ASCB pretreatment decreased whereas its co-treatment and post-treatment exacerbated busulfan-induced testicular oxidative damage and spermatological toxicity.