Antiapoptotic and antioxidant effects of beta-carotene against methotrexate-induced testicular injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of beta-carotene against testicular injury induced by methotrexate (MTX).


METHODS
Experimental study.


METHODS
Animal and histology laboratory at Inonu University.


METHODS
Twenty-eight Wistar male rats.


METHODS
Twenty-eight rats were separated into four groups: control, beta-carotene, MTX, and beta-carotene + MTX. At the end of the treatment, the animals were killed, and tissue samples were examined via histologic and biochemical methods.


METHODS
In each group, 100 tubules were classified as intact, sloughing, atrophic, and degenerated. Caspase-3, a universal effector of apoptosis, was evaluated according to staining in place of coloring as weak, mild, and strong.


RESULTS
In the MTX group, 58.5 + 3.7% of tubules were sloughing, 10.8 + 2.1% of tubules were atrophic, and 2.0 + 0.6% of tubules were degenerative. In the beta-carotene + MTX group, the affected tubule number was statistically significantly lower than in the MTX group. The distribution of caspase-3 in the MTX group showed a statistically significant increase, but it decreased in the beta-carotene + MTX group. The enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GP-x) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased and decreased in parallel.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that beta-carotene may be useful in decreasing the side effects of chemotherapy, including apoptotic cell death.
Vardi
Nigar
N
Department of Embryology and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey. nvardi@inonu.edu.tr
Parlakpinar
Hakan
H
Ates
Burhan
B
Cetin
Asli
A
Otlu
Ali
A
D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000633:toxicity*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001284:Atrophy; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000633:toxicity*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D008727:Methotrexate