Behairy Amany, El-Sharkawy Nabela I, Saber Taghred M, Soliman Mohamed Mohamed, Metwally Mohamed M M, Abd El-Rahman Ghada I, Abd-Elhakim Yasmina M, El Deib Maha M
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Oct 28;9(11):1053. doi: 10.3390/antiox9111053.
This study explored the effect of vitamin C (Vit-C) administration on the reproductive function of adult male Wistar rats injected with boldenone undecylenate (BOL).
Rats were randomly assigned into control, vehicle control, Vit-C (120 mg/kg b.wt./day, orally), BOL (received 5 mg/kg b.wt./week, IM) and BOL+Vit-C-treated groups. After eight weeks, hormonal assay, semen evaluation, testicular enzymes, and antioxidants biomarkers were assessed. Besides, the histopathological and immunohistochemical investigations of the androgen receptor (AR) expression were performed.
The results revealed that serum testosterone, acid phosphatase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, sperm abnormalities, and testicular malondialdehyde were significantly incremented in the BOL-treated group. Testicular weight, sperm count, and sperm motility together with serum levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol, and testicular testosterone, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione showed a significant decrease following BOL treatment. Besides, the AR immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in testicular tissues. Vit-C co-administration with BOL significantly relieved the BOL-induced sperm abnormalities, reduced sperm motility, testicular enzyme leakage, and oxidative damage. However, Vit-C could rescue neither BOL-induced hormonal disturbances nor AR down-regulation.
The results provide further insight into the mechanisms of BOL-induced reproductive dysfunction and its partial recovery by Vit-C.
本研究探讨了给予维生素C（Vit-C）对注射十一酸睾酮（BOL）的成年雄性Wistar大鼠生殖功能的影响。
将大鼠随机分为对照组、溶剂对照组、Vit-C组（120mg/kg体重/天，口服）、BOL组（5mg/kg体重/周，肌肉注射）和BOL+Vit-C治疗组。八周后，评估激素测定、精液评估、睾丸酶和抗氧化生物标志物。此外，还进行了雄激素受体（AR）表达的组织病理学和免疫组织化学研究。
结果显示，BOL治疗组血清睾酮、酸性磷酸酶、山梨醇脱氢酶、精子异常率和睾丸丙二醛显著升高。BOL治疗后，睾丸重量、精子计数和精子活力以及血清黄体生成素、卵泡刺激素和雌二醇水平，以及睾丸睾酮、过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶和还原型谷胱甘肽均显著降低。此外，睾丸组织中AR免疫反应性显著降低。Vit-C与BOL联合给药显著缓解了BOL诱导的精子异常、精子活力降低、睾丸酶泄漏和氧化损伤。然而，Vit-C既不能挽救BOL诱导的激素紊乱，也不能挽救AR下调。
这些结果为BOL诱导的生殖功能障碍机制及其被Vit-C部分恢复的机制提供了进一步的见解。
