title: Protective effect of Guaraná (Paullinia cupana var. sorbilis) pre-treatment on cadmium-induced damages in adult Wistar testis.
abstract: Guaraná (Paullinia cupana) is an Amazonian plant. Its antioxidant potential was demonstrated to be due to the high polyphenol concentration. On the other hand, one of the mechanisms underlying cadmium-induced cellular damage is free radical mediated, resulting in increased oxidative processes. This study investigated P. cupana's potential to attenuate cadmium-induced damages in Wistar rat testis. Adult male Wistar rats were either pre-treated with 2 mg/g body weight (BW) of powdered P. cupana seed during 56 days and/or injected with cadmium chloride at a dose of 1.15 mg/kg BW. After cadmium exposition (48 h), testes samples were evaluated by histological and stereological analyses. Both groups exposed to cadmium presented evident morphological alterations relative to control animals. A few rodents showed massive cell death in the seminiferous epithelium and intertubular space, indicating that some animals are more sensitive to cadmium. Despite the alterations observed in both groups, pre-treatment with P. cupana was effective in attenuating morphological changes in Leydig cells, as well as reducing inflammatory response, relative to animals exclusively exposed to the metal. Animals treated only with P. cupana presented a significant increase in plasma testosterone levels and a significant increase in volumetric proportions of seminiferous tubules, which are indicative of spermatogenic stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, Physiology and Biophysical, Institute of Biology, UNICAMP, P. O. Box 6109, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-863, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Paula
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Ronaldo Seichi
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Juliana Castro
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Fabrícia Souza
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Predes
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dolder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D032126:Paullinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002104:Cadmium; D013739:Testosterone