Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2010 Jul;59(1):166-74. doi: 10.1007/s00244-009-9443-3.
Nigerian Bonny light crude oil (BLCO) is commonly used by the local population in folklore medicine for the management of various forms of gastrointestinal problems and male reproductive capacity. The study investigated the effects of BLCO on the antioxidant systems of the testes and epidydimal sperm in rats by oral exposure to 0, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg BLCO for 7 days. In testes and sperm, BLCO treatment at all doses significantly (p<0.05) decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities, whereas it markedly increased glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities as well as increased glutathione (GSH), hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in all treatment groups. Although epididymal sperm number (ESN), daily spermatozoa production (DSP), and sperm motility were significantly decreased, total sperm abnormalities were significantly increased without affecting sperm viability at all dose levels compared with controls. The adverse effect of BLCO on TSN was noted at the 800 mg/kg dose only. Histopathology results showed treatment-related lesions of the testes characterized by severe congestion of interstitial vessels, decreased germinal epithelium, and increased number of vacuolization. These results suggest that exposure to BLCO, such as its use in ailment management, may promote infertility by altering the function of the testes and sperm, particularly by way of induction of oxidative stress.
尼日利亚邦尼轻质原油（BLCO）在当地民间医学中常被用于治疗各种形式的胃肠道问题和男性生殖能力。本研究通过口服暴露于 0、200、400 和 800mg/kg BLCO 7 天，研究了 BLCO 对大鼠睾丸和附睾精子抗氧化系统的影响。在睾丸和精子中，所有剂量的 BLCO 处理均显著（p<0.05）降低超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化氢酶（CAT）和谷胱甘肽 S-转移酶（GST）的活性，而显著增加葡萄糖 6-磷酸脱氢酶（G6PD）和γ-谷氨酰转移酶（GGT）的活性以及增加谷胱甘肽（GSH）、过氧化氢和丙二醛（MDA）水平在所有处理组中。尽管附睾精子数（ESN）、每日精子产生量（DSP）和精子活力显著降低，但与对照组相比，所有剂量水平的总精子异常显著增加，而精子活力不受影响。与对照组相比，只有在 800mg/kg 剂量下才观察到 BLCO 对 TSN 的不良影响。组织病理学结果显示，睾丸存在与治疗相关的病变，其特征为间质血管严重充血、生殖上皮减少和空泡化数量增加。这些结果表明，接触 BLCO（例如在疾病管理中使用）可能通过改变睾丸和精子的功能来促进不育，特别是通过诱导氧化应激。
