CHRYSIN ATTENUATES PARAQUAT-MEDIATED TESTICULAR OXIDATIVE STRESS: PROTECTING AGAINST POTENTIAL REPRODUCTIVE DYSFUNCTION IN WISTAR RATS
Keywords:
Paraquat, herbicide, testicules; toxicity, stress, chrysinAbstract
ABSTRACT Paraquat (PQ), a widely used herbicide, is associated with various systemic toxicities in humans, including damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and reproductive system. Chrysin (CH), known for its free radical scavenging properties, has been scarcely studied for its potential to mitigate PQ-induced toxicities. This study investigated the protective effects of CH against PQ-mediated testicular damage in Wistar albino rats. Twenty-eight rats were divided into four groups: control, PQ, CH, and CH+PQ. The control and PQ groups received olive oil (p.o.), while the CH and CH+PQ groups were pretreated with CH (100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for seven days. On the eighth day, the PQ and CH+PQ groups received a single dose of PQ (35 mg/kg, p.o.). Twenty-four hours after the PQ administration, testicular tissues were harvested and immediately analyzed for markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant activity. Exposure to PQ significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR). PQ also increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a marker of lipid peroxidation, and elevated nitric oxide (NO) levels. Importantly, CH pretreatment significantly reversed these PQ-induced changes. CH restored the activities of antioxidant enzymes, reduced MDA levels, and normalized NO levels. CH pretreatment prevented the PQ-mediated depletion of glutathione (GSH), a critical antioxidant. These findings demonstrate that chrysin effectively protects against PQ-induced testicular oxidative stress by improving antioxidant defense, suggesting its potential to safeguard against male reproductive dysfunction.References
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