Antioxidant profile changes in reproductive tissues of rats treated with nicotine.
OBJECTIVE
Nicotine intake has been associated with reduced fertility, although the mechanisms responsible are still unclear. However, oxidative stress has been repeatedly implicated as the leading cause of male infertility. This study was therefore designed to investigate the effects of nicotine administration on testicular oxidant and antioxidant system in male albino rats.


METHODS
Forty male rats weighing between 150 and 180 g were divided into five groups and treated orally for 30 days. Group I, which served as the control received 0.2 ml/kg normal saline, Groups II and III received 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg body weight (BW) of nicotine respectively. The fourth and fifth groups were administered with 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg BW of nicotine, but were left untreated for another 30 days. Homogenate of testis and epididymis were assayed for lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant enzyme.


RESULTS
The results show a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in testicular glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, catalase and superoxide dismutase while a significant increase (P < 0.05) was observed in testicular lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide level in both groups when compared with the control.


CONCLUSIONS
This experiment established that nicotine administration is associated with decreased testicular antioxidant and increase testicular lipid peroxidation, which might be a mechanism by which nicotine induce infertility.
Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria ; Department of Physiology, Laboratory for Reproductive and Developmental Programming, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
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Oyeyipo
Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Raji
Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
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Bolarinwa
Antioxidant; lipid peroxidation; nicotine; rats; testes