title: Testosterone and vitamin E administration up-regulated varicocele-reduced Hsp70-2 protein expression and ameliorated biochemical alterations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of vitamin E (VitE) and testosterone on varicocele (VCL)-induced damage in testis and sperm parameters and their effects on Hsp70-2 chaperone expression and on antioxidant status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats were divided into five groups: control-sham, VCL-induced, VitE-treated varicocelized (150 mg/kg, orally), testosterone-administrated varicocelized (400 μg/kg, intraperitoneally) and VitE + testosterone-received VCL-induced rats. The sperm count, DNA integrity, motility, viability and histone-protamine transition were evaluated after 60 days. The antioxidant status was analyzed by determining testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide desmutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Endocrine status of the testicular tissue was estimated by evaluating the Leydig cells steroidogenic activity using fluorescent analyses for cytoplasmic steroid foci and by determination of serum testosterone. The expression of Hsp70-2 protein was analyzed using imunohistochemical and western blot analyses. RNA damage of the germinal cells was examined with epi-fluorescent examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VitE and testosterone administration ameliorated the varicocele-reduced Leydig cell and testosterone level. In addition, co-administration of these compounds recovered the VCL-induced reduction of TAC, SOD, and GSH-px and lowered significantly (P < 0.05) the VCL-elevated content of MDA. The treated animals revealed with a significant (P < 0.05) up-regulation of the VCL-reduced expression of Hsp70-2 protein. Moreover, VitE and testosterone significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited the VCL-increased RNA damage in germinal cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that the protective effects of VitE and testosterone on VCL-induced derangements may depend on enhancing testicular antioxidant status and up-regulating endocrine activities, which enhanced the Hsp70-2 chaperone expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Faculty of Basic Science, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khosravanian
authors.forename: Mazdak
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razi
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farokhi
authors.forename: Hajar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khosravanian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014646:Varicocele / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; C490435:Hspa2 protein, rat; D014810:Vitamin E; D013739:Testosterone; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase