|
چکیده
|
Background: Etoposide, a DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agent, effectively induces apoptosis in tumor cells but also has harmful effects on male fertility, including reduced testicular weight, impaired spermatogenesis, decreased sperm motility, and suppressed testosterone production. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant role of pentoxifylline in alleviating etoposide- induced damage to testicular tissue, spermatogenesis, and sperm quality in adult NMRI mice. Materials and Methods: 24 adult male NMRI mice (average weight 35 ± 2 g) were randomly assigned to four groups (n=6): Control, Etoposide (1 mg/kg/day, i.p.), Pentoxifylline (100 mg/kg/day, i.p.), and a combined Pentoxifylline + Etoposide group, treated for 35 days. Body weight was recorded before and after treatment. After anesthesia and necropsy, sperm parameters, DNA damage (acridine-orange staining), and nuclear maturation (aniline-blue staining) were assessed using sperm from the left cauda epididymis. The left testis was processed for histological evaluation using hematoxylin & eosin staining and stereology, while the right testis was used to calculate daily sperm production (DSP). Serum testosterone, total antioxidant capacity (FRAP), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were also measured. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test, with significance set at P<0.05. Results: Etoposide treatment significantly reduced body and testis weight, sperm count, motility, viability, daily production, and tail length, as well as testicular tissue volume, seminiferous tubule dimensions, spermatogenesis indices, germ cell numbers, testosterone levels, and total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05). It also significantly increased serum MDA levels (P<0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in sperm DNA damage or nuclear maturation. Co-treatment with pentoxifylline significantly improved these parameters compared to the etoposide group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that pentoxifylline with its antioxidant properties could prevent the destructive effects of etoposide on testis tissue, spermatogenesis indices and sperm parameters by reducing oxidative stress, increasing total antioxidant capacity and serum testosterone level.
|