title: Naringenin; a bioflavonoid, impairs the reproductive potential of male mice.
abstract: Present study analyzed the effect of naringenin, a bioflavonoid, on male reproductive function in adult mouse, after intraperitoneal treatment with varying concentrations of naringenin (2, 8 and 20 mg/kg b.wt.) for two weeks. Naringenin increased the generation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in the testis with concomitant decrease in sperm count and motility in a dose-dependent manner. Activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and levels of reduced glutathione were found to be decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Also, the levels of oxidized glutathione were increased leading to a shift in redox ratio. Naringenin treatment also led to a dose-dependent increase in the mRNA expression of c-jun, c-fos and NF-κB. The testicular histomorphology was also altered dose dependently. Additionally, the number of apoptotic germ cells increased with increasing doses of naringenin as evident from acridine orange/ethidium bromide costaining and JC-1 staining. In conclusion, our study reveals that naringenin despite being a potent antioxidant with numerous important biological functions may also act as pro-oxidant, thus causing damaging effects in the testicular tissue.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biophysics , Panjab University, South Campus , Sector-25 , Chandigarh , India.
authors.forename: Pavitra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ranawat
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biophysics , Panjab University, South Campus , Sector-25 , Chandigarh , India.
authors.forename: Nikita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bakshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D044950:Flavanones / Q000633:toxicity*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D044950:Flavanones; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C005273:naringenin
keywords: NF-κB; Naringenin; c-Fos; c-Jun; pro-oxidant; sperm motility