title: Cadmium toxicity in spermatogenesis and protective effects of L-carnitine in adult male rats.
abstract: In this study, the effects of cadmium toxicity and the protective effects of L-carnitine on spermatogenesis in Sprague-Dawley rat were evaluated. Animals were subdivided into five groups. Cadmium chloride (1-mg/kg body weight) was injected intraperitoneally during 16 days at intervals of 48 h between subsequent treatments. L-carnitine (500 mg/kg b.w., IP) was pretreated in both of control and cadmium-injected rats. Animals were killed on day 17 after the first treatment. The left cauda epididymis was removed and immediately immersed into Hank's balanced salt solution for evaluation of sperm count and viability. Following contamination with cadmium, a decrease in the number and viability of cauda epididymis sperm, the number of cell proliferation, and Johnsen Scores in the seminiferous tubules was observed. Consequently, L-carnitine treatment caused an increase in the number and viability of cauda epididymis sperm, the number of cell proliferation, and Johnsen Scores in the cadmium-induced group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abazar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yari
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahadoran
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dashtnavard
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imani
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Naghii
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D002331:Carnitine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013076:Sperm Count; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019256:Cadmium Chloride; D002331:Carnitine