title: Role of Quercetin in Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress, Testicular Damage, and Apoptosis in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the role of quercetin on cadmium-induced oxidative stress, testicular damage, and apoptosis in rat testes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were randomly allotted into 1 of 3 experimental groups: control, cadmium-treated, and cadmium-treated with quercetin; each group con- tained 10 animals. Control animals received daily injec- tions of the saline vehicle alone. The cadmium-treated group was injected subcutaneously with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) dissolved in saline at a dose of 2 mL/kg/ day for 30 days, resulting in a dosage of 1 mg/kg cadmium. The rats in quercetin-treated groups were given quercetin (15 mg/kg body weight) once a day i.p., starting 2 days prior to the cadmium injection during the study period. All animals were sacrificed and testes tissues were removed for histopathological and biochemical (malondialdehyde [MDA], superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], and serum testosterone levels) investigation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean seminiferous tubule diameter, Johnsen's mean testicular biopsy score values, biochemical parameters (MDA, SOD, GSH-Px, and serum testosterone levels), and amount of germ cell apoptosis were significantly decreased in the cadmium-treated groups as compared to the control group. Furthermore, the quercetin-treated animals showed improved histological and biochemical parameters in the cadmium-treated group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that quercetin treatment protected testes against toxic effects of cadmium. We believe that further preclinical research into the utility of quercetin may indicate its usefulness as a potential treatment for spermatogenesis after testicular injury caused by cadmium-treated rats.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanter
authors.forename: Tevfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aktoz
authors.forename: Cevat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aktas
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozen
authors.forename: Oguzhan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yarali
authors.forename: Betul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kanter
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011794:Quercetin; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase