Male infertility is responsible for approximately 50% of infertility worldwide.
Reactive oxygen species are one of the major causes of male infertility. In this
study, the effects of oxidative stress induced by tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide
(TBHP) on sperm quality and testis tissue are investigated. After determination
of LD50, TBHP with a concentration of 1 : 10 LD50 was injected in adult male
mice strains Balb/c for two consecutive weeks. Their testis tissues were used for
cell viability, histopathology analysis and ROS assay. The epididymis was also
surveyed for sperm analysis by CASA system. The sperm motility, count and
viability decreased in the TBHP-treated mice compared to the control mice.
The flow cytometry analysis showed a significant increase in H2O2 and O
2 levels
in both testis and sperm within 2 weeks after intraperitoneal injection. Body
weights revealed no treatment-related effects, but atrophy of testis and a
decrease of testis cells viability were observed. The results showed that exposure
to TBHP could lead to morphological changes in seminiferous tubules. TBHPinduced
oxidative stress caused a decrease in sperm parameters and testis cells
viability. That is due to an increase level of ROS in the testis and their deleterious
effects on genomic levels.
کلید واژگان :
Male infertility—oxidative stress—reactive oxygen species—tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)
