title: Prevention of H2O2 Induced Oxidative Damages of Rat Testis by Thymus algeriensis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluate the effects of Thymus algeriensis (TEO) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) toxicity on body and testis weight, testis sperm count, testis lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were treated with low (LD) and high dose (HD) of H2O2 (0.1 and 1 mmol/L) in the presence or absence of TEO (150 mg/kg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results exhibited a significant decrease in body weight and testis weight, in total sperm number decrease (P<0.05), sperm motility and percentage of sperm viability, leading to complete arrest, in sperm flagellar beat frequency by the gavage of 1 mmol/L H2O2 compared to controls. The administration of H2O2 resulted in a significant reduction in testis GSH, GPx, CAT, SOD, and GST activity and significant increase (P<0.05) in MDA concentration compared with the untreated control animals. TEO pre-treatment protected testis from the H2O2 generated oxidative stress. These results were confirmed by histological architecture examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H2O2 has the ability to alter the sperm function, characteristics and development of testis. However, TEO is an efficient natural agent, which can prevent the testis from H2O2-induced oxidative damage in rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Zarzouma, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia; Cytokine Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guesmi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Zarzouma, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hamida
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Beghalem
authors.affiliation: Cytokine Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Amit K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomonitoring of the Environment (LR01/ES14), Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Zarzouma, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Manel Ben
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Zarzouma, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ramla Ben
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Mouhoub
authors.affiliation: Service of Anatomo- Pathology of Menzel Bourguiba, Bizerte 7050, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Houda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bellamine
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, Zarzouma, Bizerte 7021, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Landoulsi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects*; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: Antioxidants; Hydrogen peroxide; Infertility; TEO; Testis