Introduction: L-sarcolysin or melphalan is one of the chemotherapy drugs that, despite its widespread use in the treatment of some cancers, has cytotoxic effects on the male reproductive system, which may lead to infertility. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vitamin C on sperm parameters in rats treated with melphalan. Materials and methods: In this experimental research, 24 adult male NMRI mice (with an average weight of 35.56 ± 1.04 gr) were divided to the control, vitamin C (100 mg/kg daily), melphalan (5 mg/kg daily) and melphalan + vitamin C groups and treated through intraperitoneal injection for 28 days. 24 hours after the last treatment, the caudal region of the epididymis was cut and sperm parameters (viability, number, motility, daily production and sperm tail length) were examined. Malondialdehyde level and total serum antioxidant capacity were also evaluated. The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test, and the difference of means was considered significant at the p˂0.05 level. Results: A significant decrease in sperm parameters and total serum antioxidant capacity was observed in the melphalan group compared to the control group. While the level of malondialdehyde in the melphalan group showed a significant increase compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the simultaneous treatment group, vitamin C improved the mentioned parameters by reducing the toxic effects of melphalan on the male reproductive system. Conclusion: According to the obtained results, vitamin C, as a strong antioxidant, has probably been able to induce its protective effects against the damage caused by melphalan in the male reproductive system by inhibiting free radicals and preventing oxidative stress.
