title: Protective effects of melatonin against arsenic-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in rat testes.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of melatonin against arsenic-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in rat testes. A total of 27 male rats were divided into 3 groups: control (saline: 5 ml kg(-1) day(-1), intragastrically), arsenic (sodium arsenite (NaAsO2): 5 mg kg(-1) day(-1), intragastrically), and arsenic + melatonin (sodium arsenite (NaAsO2): 5 mg kg(-1) day(-1), intragastrically and melatonin: 25 mg kg(-1) day(-1), intraperitoneally) group. At the end of 30 days, the rats were killed under anesthesia. Histopathological examination showed that testicular injury mediated by arsenic was ameliorated by the administration of melatonin. The number of apoptotic germ cell was increased, and the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive germ cell was decreased in testis after arsenic administration. Our data indicate a significant reduction in the activity of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling, and there was a rise in the expression of PCNA in testis of arsenic + melatonin group. The decreased superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities as well as increased malondialdehyde levels in testis due to arsenic administration were also counteracted by melatonin. These data suggested that melatonin has beneficial effects against arsenic-induced testicular damage by decreasing morphological damage, germ cell apoptosis, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress. Our results suggest that melatonin plays a protective role against arsenic-induced testicular apoptosis and oxidative stress.
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey fztramazan@hotmail.com.
authors: Ramazan
authors: R
authors: Uygur
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors: Cevat
authors: C
authors: Aktas
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors: Veli
authors: V
authors: Caglar
authors: Vocational School of Health Services, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors: Emine
authors: E
authors: Uygur
authors: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors: Hasan
authors: H
authors: Erdogan
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey.
authors: Oguz Aslan
authors: OA
authors: Ozen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity*; D018053:Arsenites / Q000633:toxicity; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D017670:Sodium Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013733:Testicular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018053:Arsenites; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D020011:Protective Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D017670:Sodium Compounds; C017947:sodium arsenite; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D004253:DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase; D008550:Melatonin; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; apoptosis; melatonin; oxidative stress; testis