Effects of diallyl sulfide and zinc on testicular steroidogenesis in cadmium‐treated male rats
Tóm tắt
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the environmental pollutants that affect various tissues and organs including testis. Harmful effect of cadmium on testis is known to be germ cell degeneration and impairment of testicular steroidogenesis. In the present study, the effect of diallyl sulfide (DAS), a sulfur‐containing volatile compound present in garlic, and zinc (Zn) was investigated on cadmium‐induced testicular toxicity in rats. Male adult Wistar rats treated with cadmium (2.5 mg/kg body wt, five times a week for 4 weeks) showed decreased body weight, paired testicular weight, relative testicular weight, serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone, and testicular total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and protein levels. Testicular steroidogenic enzymes, such as 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β‐HSD) and 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β‐HSD), and marker enzymes, such as sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), showed a significant decrease in activities whereas that of γ‐glutamyl transferase was significantly increased after cadmium exposure. The results have revealed that concurrent treatment with DAS or zinc restored key steroidogenic enzymes, SDH, LDH, and G6PD and increased testicular weight significantly. DAS restored the TAC level and increased testosterone level and relative testicular weight significantly. Zinc restored testicular protein level and body weight. It can be concluded that cadmium causes testicular toxicity and inhibits androgen production in adult male rats probably by affecting pituitary gonadotrophins and that concurrent administration of DAS or zinc provides protection against cadmium‐induced testicular toxicity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 22:345–353, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (
Từ khóa
Tài liệu tham khảo
Nogawa K, 1996, Toxicology of metals, 353
Hammond PB, 1986, Metals ions in biological systems, 157
Essman E J, 1984, The medical uses of herbs, Fitoterapia, 55, 279
Prasad AS, 1983, The role of zinc in gastrointestinal and liver disease, Clin Gastroenterol, 12, 713, 10.1016/S0300-5089(21)00603-9
Chen L, 2002, Effects of chronic cadmium loading on the testis and endocrine function of reproduction in male rats, Sheng Li Xue Bao, 54, 258
Anttinen H, 1985, Prevention by zinc of rat lung collagen accumulation in carbon tetrachloride injury, Am Rev Respir Dis, 132, 536
Chauncey B, 1988, Renal sorbitol accumulation and associated enzyme activities in diabetes, Enzyme, 39, 231, 10.1159/000469124
Buhl SN, 1978, Optimal conditions and comparisons of lactate dehydrogenase catalysis of the lactate to pyruvate and pyruvate to lactate reactions in human serum at 25, 30 and 37ˆC, Clin Chem, 24, 828, 10.1093/clinchem/24.5.828
Orlowski M, 1965, Isolation of gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase from hog kidney, J Biol Chem, 240, 338, 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)97654-4
Moss DW, 1984, Method of enzymatic analysis, 92
Kornberg A, 1955, Methods in enzymology, 823
Jarabak J, 1962, Purification of a 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of human placenta and studies on transhydrogenase function, J Biol Chem, 237, 345, 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)93926-8
Jana K, 2006, Effects of chronic exposure to sodium arsenite on hypothalamo‐pituitary‐testicular activities in adult rats: Possible an estrogenic mode of action, Reprod Biol Endocrinol, 4, 1
Kirk JE, 1962, Vitamins and hormones, 67
Latchoumycandane C, 1999, Effects of hyperthyroidism on the physiological status of pubertal rat testis, Biomed Lett, 59, 33
Latchoumycandane C, 1997, Inhibitory effects of hypothyroidism on the testicular functions of postnatal rats, Biomed Lett, 56, 171