This study was conducted to investigate the effects of ascorbic acid supplementation in drinking water on semen quality, lipid peroxidation and plasma testosterone level of male rats. In this investigation, 24 male Wistar rats were used. The animals were divided into three group, and 500, 250 and 0 (control) mg/kg/day ascorbic acid were supplemented with drinking water of rats in Groups A, B and C during 8 weeks, respectively. Ascorbic acid supplementation did not increase in the body weight and weights of the testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and ventral prostate. Exogenous supplementation with ascorbic acid significantly increased (P<0.05) the concentration of ascorbic acid in the testes and blood plasma, and the level of lipid peroxidation significantly decreased (P<0.05) in these locations. There was no significant difference in spermatozoon motility among the three groups. However, epididymal sperm concentration and plasma testosterone level significantly increased (P<0.05) in the ascorbic acid treated animals when compared to the control animals. The results suggest that ascorbic acid supplementation improves reproductive traits of male rats that are associated with high fertility.

Ellagic acid has a protective effect against testicular toxicity caused by CP. This protective effect of EA seems to be closely involved with the suppressing of oxidative stress.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective role of lycopene on cisplatin (CP)-induced spermiotoxicity using quantitative, biochemical and histopathological approaches. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. The control group received physiological saline; animals in cisplatin group received only cisplatin; pre-treatment group received a 10-day of lycopene before administration of cisplatin while animals in post-treatment group received a 5-day of lycopene following administration of cisplatin. Cisplatin (7 mg kg(-1)) was intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected as a single dose and lycopene (4 mg kg(-1)) was administered by gavage in corn oil. Traits of reproductive organs; sperm characteristics, testicular histological findings, plasma testosterone levels and the testicular tissue oxidative status were determined. Administration of cisplatin to rats decreased sperm concentration (p < 0.05) and sperm motility (p < 0.001), increased total abnormal sperm rates (p < 0.05) as compared with the control group. While a marked normalization was achieved only in sperm concentration with lycopene in pre-treatment group, significant normalizations were achieved in the sperm concentration, sperm motility, total abnormal sperm rates in post-treatment group. No significant differences in levels of testosterone were observed among all groups. An increase in testes malondialdehyde concentrations (p < 0.05) and glutathione peroxidase activities (p < 0.001) were detected while significant decreases in glutathione levels (p < 0.001) in cisplatin alone group when compared to control group. While pre-treatment with lycopene restoring only malondialdehyde concentrations, its post-treatment caused normalization in both malondialdehyde and glutathione levels when compared with the cisplatin alone group. On the other hand, significant increases were determined in GSH-Px activities in all experimental groups when compared with the control group. Although the mechanism is not clear, the results from this experimental study suggest that the lycopene have a possible protective effect against cisplatin-induced spermiotoxicity, effect of giving lycopene after cisplatin being superior to the giving it before cisplatin.

In this study, we investigated the effect of melatonin on cisplatin-induced spermiotoxicity using quantitative, biochemical and histopathological approaches. Cisplatin (CP, 7 mg/kg) and melatonin (10 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected. The rats were decapitated on 5th (short-term group) or 50th day (long-term group) after CP injection. Traits of reproductive organs, sperm characteristics, testicular histological findings, and the lipid peroxidation in the testicular tissue were determined. Melatonin mitigated CP-induced reductions in testes, epididymis and accessory gland weights in rats decapitated on day 5. Both short- and long-term CP treatment decreased sperm concentration, sperm motility and increased abnormal sperm rates compared with the control. But the reduction of sperm concentration in long-term CP treatment was insignificant. Although treatment with melatonin provided moderately normalization with respect to sperm concentration in short-term treatment group, melatonin caused a marked normalization of sperm motility in both CP + melatonin groups. Both groups treated with the melatonin showed decreases in abnormal sperm rates compared with alone CP. While testicular malondialdehyde levels were elevated after CP treatment, glutathione peroxidase activity decreased significantly in both groups. Glutathione levels reduced after long-term treatment, but not in short-term group by CP administration. Treatment with CP plus melatonin provided significant amelioration of oxidative stress parameters. Histopathological findings of testes in both short- and long-term treatment groups paralleled the biochemical and spermatogenic results. This study clearly indicates that CP-treatment impaired markedly testicular function and combined treatment with melatonin prevented much of the toxicity in rats.

Cyclosporine A (CsA)-induced direct failures in hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and Sertoli cell phagocytic function have been considered for testicular toxicity so far. It has clearly been reported that oxidative stress leads to damage in sperm functions and structure of the testis. Therefore, this study was conducted to demonstrate whether CsA causes testicular and spermatozoal toxicity associated with the oxidative stress, and to investigate the possible protective effect of lycopene against CsA-induced damages in all reproductive organs and sperm characteristics in male rats. While the daily administration of CsA at the dose 15 mg/kg for 21 days significantly decreased the seminal vesicles weight, epididymal sperm concentration, motility, testicular tissue glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), diameter of seminiferous tubules and germinal cell thickness, it increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and abnormal sperm rates along with degeneration, necrosis, desquamative germ cells in testicular tissue. However, the CsA along with simultaneous administration of lycopene at the dose of 10mg/kg markedly ameliorated the CsA-induced all the negative changes observed in the testicular tissue, sperm parameters and oxidant/antioxidant balance. In conclusion, CsA-induced oxidative stress leads to the structural and functional damages in the testicular tissue and sperm quality of rats and, lycopene has a potential protective effect on these damages.