title: Alpha-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine protects intensive swimming exercise-mediated germ-cell depletion, pro-oxidant generation, and alteration of steroidogenesis in rat testis.
abstract: Prolonged and strenuous exercise has been proposed as a possible source of male-factor infertility. Forced intensive swimming has also been identified as one source of a dysfunctional male reproduction system. The present study evaluated the possible protective role of α-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on intensive swimming-induced germ-cell depletion in adult male rats. Forced exhaustive swimming of 1 hr/day, 6 days/week for 8 consecutive weeks resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in epididymal sperm; testicular androgenic enzyme activities; and plasma and intra-testicular testosterone; and produced different types of germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium cycle. Conversely, plasma corticosterone levels and sperm-head abnormalities increased. Western-blot analysis showed a considerable decrease in testicular StAR protein expression whereas reverse-transcriptase PCR analysis showed no significant change in cytochrome P450scc (Cyp11a1) gene expression. Significant (P < 0.05) elevation in testicular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content versus reduction in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and caspase-3 activities along with a depletion in the glutathione pool, mitochondrial membrane potential (▵ψm ), and intracellular ATP generation. A considerable level of DNA damage in testicular spermatogenic cells were also noted following forced extensive swimming. Alpha-lipoic acid and NAC supplementation prevented the swimming-induced testicular spermatogenic and steroidogenic disorders by lowering ROS generation. We therefore conclude that intensive forced swimming causes germ-cell depletion through the generation of ROS and depletion of steroidogenesis in the testis, which can be protected by the co-administration of α-lipoic acid and NAC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Calcutta Improvement Trust Scheme VIIM, Kolkata, India.
authors.forename: Kuladip
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.forename: Ananya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dutta
authors.forename: Pratip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: Indranil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manna
authors.forename: Syed Benazir
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Firdaus
authors.forename: Debasish
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bandyopadhyay
authors.forename: Ratna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: Baidyanath
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chakravarty
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005080:Exercise Test; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013550:Swimming; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D013739:Testosterone; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D003345:Corticosterone; D000111:Acetylcysteine