Ashoub Aliaa H, Abdel-Naby Doaa H, Safar Marwa M, El-Ghazaly Mona A, Kenawy Sanaa A
Department of Drug Radiation Research, National Centre for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Atomic Energy Authority, 3 Ahmed El-Zomor Street, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr El-Aini Street, Cairo, Egypt.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 May;28(18):23287-23300. doi: 10.1007/s11356-020-12334-2. Epub 2021 Jan 14.
Nicotine is an active pharmacological ingredient in cigarette smoke, which may negatively influence the male reproductive system and fertility. This study aims to investigate the effect of fractionated low-dose radiation (fractionated-LDR) and/or ellagic acid (EA) on nicotine-induced hormonal changes and testicular toxicity in rats. Nicotine was administrated orally (1 mg/kg) for 30 days, afterward, rats were treated with LDR (2 × 0.25 Gy/1-week interval), EA (10 mg/kg, 14 consecutive days p.o.), or a combination of both fractionated-LDR and EA. Rats were sacrificed 24 h after the last dose of treatment, then testes were dissected for histopathology examination, along with some biochemical parameters in serum and testicular tissue were evaluated. Nicotine-induced oxidative stress was evidenced by an increase in testicular thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and a decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) content. Additionally, the activities of testicular androgenic enzymes were decreased, and the activity of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was significantly increased. The hormonal changes were verified by a noticeable reduction in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone serum levels. Histological evaluation revealed that the testicular seminiferous tubules structure was distorted. On the contrary, fractionated-LDR plus EA attenuated the negative changes caused by nicotine observed through biochemical and histological findings. Accordingly, the exposure to fractionated-LDR combined with EA may be a promising candidate for treating hormonal changes and testicular toxicity caused by nicotine.
尼古丁是香烟烟雾中的一种活性药理成分，可能会对男性生殖系统和生育能力产生负面影响。本研究旨在探讨分次低剂量辐射（fractionated-LDR）和/或鞣花酸（EA）对尼古丁诱导的大鼠激素变化和睾丸毒性的影响。口服给予尼古丁（1mg/kg），持续30天，之后，大鼠接受LDR（2×0.25Gy/1周间隔）、EA（10mg/kg，口服，连续14天）或分次LDR与EA联合治疗。在最后一剂治疗后24小时处死大鼠，然后解剖睾丸进行组织病理学检查，并评估血清和睾丸组织中的一些生化参数。睾丸硫代巴比妥酸反应性物质（TBARS）增加和还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量降低证明了尼古丁诱导的氧化应激。此外，睾丸雄激素酶的活性降低，血清乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）的活性显著增加。促卵泡激素（FSH）、黄体生成素（LH）和睾酮血清水平显著降低证实了激素变化。组织学评估显示睾丸生精小管结构扭曲。相反，分次LDR加EA减轻了通过生化和组织学结果观察到的尼古丁引起的负面变化。因此，分次LDR与EA联合应用可能是治疗尼古丁引起的激素变化和睾丸毒性的有前景的候选方法。
