title: Lycopene prevents adriamycin-induced testicular toxicity in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate a possible protective role of lycopene on adriamycin (ADR)-induced spermiotoxicity using quantitative, biochemical and histopathological approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Firat University Medical School, Experimental Research Centre, Elazig, Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty four Sprague Dawley rats (8-weeks old)
  
  
  METHODS
  Adriamycin (10 mg kg(-1)) was intraperitoneally injected and lycopene (4 mg kg(-1)) was administered by gavage in corn oil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reproductive organ weights were evaluated along with epididymal sperm concentration, motility and morphology. Testicular histological findings, oxidative status and plasma testosterone levels were also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lycopene ameliorated ADR-induced reductions in both testes and epididymis weights. ADR decreased sperm motility, increased total abnormal sperm rates, but epididymal sperm concentration was not changed compared to control. A marked normalization was achieved in sperm motility and morphology in pretreatment with lycopene. Although testosterone level was decreased in ADR group compared to control, no changes were observed in pretreatment group. An increase in malondialdehyde and a decrease reduced glutathione concentrations were detected in alone ADR group compared to control. Pretreatment with lycopene restored significantly malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione concentrations. ADR caused severe degenerative changes in germinative cells, atrophy in the diameter size of seminiferous tubules and germinative cell thickness. However, ADR-induced histopathological alterations were effectively reverted by pretreatment with lycopene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study clearly indicates that ADR treatment markedly impaired testicular function and that pretreatment with lycopene might prevent this toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Firat, Elaziğ, Turkey. aatessahin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ateşşahin
authors.forename: Gaffari
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Türk
authors.forename: Izzet
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karahan
authors.forename: Seval
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Ali Osman
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ceribaşi
authors.forename: Ozgür
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bulmuş
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D002338:Carotenoids; D004317:Doxorubicin; D000077276:Lycopene