title: Protective effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum) juice on testes against carbon tetrachloride intoxication in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pomegranate fruit has been extensively used as a natural medicine in many cultures. The present study was aimed at evaluating the protective effects of pomegranate (Punica granatum) juice against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and testes injury in adult Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty eight Wistar albino male rats were divided equally into 4 groups for the assessment of protective potential of pomegranate juice. Rats of group I (control) received only vehicles and had free access to food and water. Rats of groups II and IV were treated with CCl4 (2 ml/kg bwt) via the intraperitoneal route once a week for ten weeks. The pomegranate juice was supplemented via drinking water 2 weeks before and concurrent with CCl4 treatment to group IV. Group III was supplemented with pomegranate juice for twelve weeks. The protective effects of pomegranate on serum sex hormones, oxidative markers, activities of antioxidant enzymes and histopathology of testes were determined in CCl4-induced reproductive toxicity in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pomegranate juice showed significant elevation in testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) those depleted by the injection of CCl4. Activity levels of endogenous testesticular antioxidant enzymes; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione (GSH) contents were increased while lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) were decreased with pomegranate juice. Moreover, degeneration of germ and Leydig cells along with deformities in spermatogenesis induced after CCl4 injections were restored with the treatment of pomegranate juice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results clearly demonstrated that pomegranate juice augments the antioxidant defense mechanism against carbon tetrachloride-induced reproductive toxicity and provides evidence that it may have a therapeutic role in free radical mediated diseases.
authors.forename: Ebtesam M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Al-Olayan
authors.forename: Manal F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: El-Khadragy
authors.forename: Dina M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Metwally
authors.affiliation: Zoology & Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. aest1977@helwan.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Ahmed E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Abdel Moneim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D005638:Fruit; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D029561:Lythraceae; D008297:Male; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D005978:Glutathione