title: Prevention of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity in testes of rats treated with Physalis peruviana L. fruit.
abstract: Treatment of rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4; 2 ml/kg body weight) once a week for 12 weeks caused a significant decrease in serum levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. These decreases in sex hormones were reduced with Physalis peruviana L. (Cape gooseberry) juice supplementation. In addition, testicular activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase suppressed with CCl4 were elevated after P. peruviana juice supplements. P. peruviana juice supplementation significantly increased the testicular glutathione and significantly decreased the level of lipid peroxidation and the nitric oxide production compared with the CCl4 group. In addition, the decline in the activity of antioxidant enzymes after CCl4 was ameliorated by P. peruviana Moreover, degeneration of germ and Leydig cells along with deformities in spermatogenesis induced after CCl4 injections were prevented with the supplementation of P. peruviana juice. Furthermore, P. peruviana juice attenuated CCl4-induced apoptosis in testes tissue by inhibition of caspase-3 activity. The results clearly demonstrate that P. peruviana juice augments the antioxidants defense mechanism against CCl4-induced reproductive toxicity and provides evidence that the juice may have a therapeutic role in free radical-mediated diseases and infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology and Entomology, 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; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices / Q000032:analysis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D007246:Infertility / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D032321:Physalis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Physalis peruviana L.; carbon tetrachloride; oxidative stress; reproductive toxicity.