Testosterone Prevents atrazine-Induced Oxidative Damage, Inflammation and Histologic Changes in the Testes of Young Mature Rats

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India. Section B: Biological sciences India. Section B: Biological sciences, 2023-12, Vol.93 (4), p.861-870
• Main Authors: Mgbudom-Okah, Chidimma J., Abarikwu, Sunny O., Wegwu, Matthew O.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Androgens; Animal models; Atrazine; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Endocrine disruptors; Enzymatic activity; Glutathione; Inflammation; Interleukin 17; L-Lactate dehydrogenase; Life Sciences; Lipid peroxidation; Nitric oxide; Nucleic Acid Chemistry; Oxidative stress; Peroxidase; Plant Biochemistry; Research Article; Seminiferous tubule; Testes; Testosterone; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α
• ISSN: 0369-8211; 2250-1746
• DOI: 10.1007/s40011-023-01480-5

Exposure to atrazine (ATZ), an endocrine disrupting chemical reduces testosterone (T) concentration in mammalian animal models. Therefore, T is thought to have protective effects against ATZ-induced testicular damage and histologic changes in young adult rats. Male albino rats were divided randomly into five groups and given oral ATZ (50 mg/kg b.w) 6 days in a week alone or in combination with intraperitoneal injection of T (200, 400 or 800 µg/ kg b.w) every other day for 52 days. At the end of the study, sperm quality was increased and number of abnormal sperms was decreased in ATZ + T co-treated rats. Lipid peroxidation decreased, whereas lactate dehydrogenase activity and testosterone concentration increased after T co-treatment. The regulatory effects of T on tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-17 (IL-17), nitric oxide and myeloperoxidase activity in the testes of co-treated animals were observed in a dose-dependent manner except for TNF-α where the lowest T dose has better recovery effect than at higher doses. Furthermore, T co-treatment was observed to increase the epithelia thickness and diameter of the seminiferous tubule in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, T co-treatment could also dose-dependently elevate glutathione concentration and the enzyme activity levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the testes of rats. The data suggest that T minimized ATZ-induced diminution of defensive inflammatory molecules and antioxidant systems, further elucidating the relevance of androgens under inflammatory and oxidative stress situations in the testes.