title: The role of flaxseed and vitamin E on oxidative stress in prepubertal rats with experimental varicocele: An experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prepubertal varicocele has the most devastating effects on the testes. Oxidative stress is the major cause leading to infertility in varicocele. The antioxidant properties of Flaxseed (FS) treatment in some oxidative diseases have been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant effect of FS in prepubertal rats with experimental varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty two male prepubertal rats were divided into 6 groups: the varicocele group were either fed with 10% FS, or with regular diet, or with Vit E, the group with sham operation fed with 10% FS, or had regular diet, and control rats who had not been operated but received regular diet. Varicocele was created by Koksal method. After 6 weeks sperm superoxide anion and H2O2 were evaluated by flowcytometery. Semen total antioxidant capacity (TAC) by Koracevic method and testes malondialdehyde (MDA) by thiobarbituric acid with spectrophotometry was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While superoxide anion and H2O2 were significantly higher in varicocele grop with regular diet (p=0.0001), FS significantly decreased the previously-mentioned parameters (p=0.0001). There were no significant differences for seminal TAC between 6 groups (p=0.07). Left testicular MDA concentration were lower in varicocele or group that were fed with 10% FS compared with other groups (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reactive oxygen species (ROS) may cause sperm oxidative damage. FS as a fat soluble antioxidant can scavenge intracellular ROS production in varicocele.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sohrabipour
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacogenosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamalinejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abdolfatah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarrafnejd
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Taherah
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shahrestany
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid-Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Sadeghipour
keywords: Antioxidants; Flax; Oxidative stress; Varicocele