title: Protective Effect of Melatonin against Inequality-Induced Da mages on Testicular Tissue and Sper m Para meters.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goals of the study are evaluation the effects of food deprivation and isolation situation as a social stress on fertility; and in the following, investigation of the improving effect of melatonin as an antioxidant component.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this experimental study, We investigated histopathological and serological effects of melatonin and social stress (food deprivation and isolation) on different features of sperm and testicular tissue among 42 male rats in 7 groups including control, sham, melatonin received (M), food deprivation (FD), Food deprivation and melatonin treatment (FDM), Food deprivation and isolation situation (FDi), and Food deprivation and melatonin treatment and isolation situation (FDMi) groups. Epididymal sperms of all rats were also counted. Histopathological evaluation of the testes was done under a light microscopy to determine the number of spermiogenic cells. Serological evaluation of testosterone, corticosterone, and melatonin was performed, as well. For statistical analysis, oneway ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test were used, and the value of p≤0.05 was considered statistically significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The result showed that food deprivation increased the number of abnormal, immotile, and dead sperms, while decreased the number of normal sperms (p<0.05). Isolation could improve sperm motility and viability, while enhanced the number of sper- matogenic cells. Melatonin had a protective effect on sperm count, motility, and viability, while reduced sperm abnormality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrated that melatonin treatment and isolation situation improve the parameters related to epididymal sperms and spermatogenic cells after food deprivation.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Shiva Nasiraei-Moghadam
authors: SN
authors: Nasiraei-Moghadam
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Kazem
authors: K
authors: Parivar
authors: Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Abolhasan
authors: A
authors: Ahmadiani
authors: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mansoureh
authors: M
authors: Movahhedin
authors: Department of Clinical Trial Iranian Traditional Medicine Research Center and Health Equity, College of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mohammad Reza
authors: MR
authors: Vaez Mahdavi
keywords: Food deprivation; Isolation situation; Melatonin; Testis