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Full Length Research Paper |
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Long-term treatment
with Kigelia africana fruit extract ameliorates the
testicular toxicity following cisplatin administration in male
Sprague-Dawley rats
Azu, O. O.1*,
Duru, F. I. O.1, Osinubi, A. A.1, Oremosu,
A. A.1, Norohna, C. C.1,
Okanlawon, A. O.1
and Elesha S. O.2
1Department
of Anatomy, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, P.
M. B. 12003, Idiaraba, Lagos, Nigeria.
2Department
of Morbid Anatomy, College of Medicine of the University of
Lagos, P. M. B. 12003, Idiaraba, Lagos, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
amechi2@yahoo.com,
amechi2@hotmail.com.
Tel: +2348023184606.
Accepted 17 November, 2010 |
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Abstract |
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Cisplatin is one of the most
potent chemotherapeutic antitumor drugs that generates reactive
oxygen species and also inhibits the activity of antioxidant
enzymes in testicular tissues. In the present study, we
investigated the long term effects of treatment with Kigelia
africana fruit extract (KAFE) and cisplatin in male Sprague-Dawley
rats. Our literature survey indicated a lack of any experimental
study showing the effects of long term use of KAFE in any
experimental chemotherapeutic protocol using cisplatin. 50
Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the study, divided into 10
groups (n = 5 in each group): control group, KAFE alone groups
(100 and 500 mg/kg), cisplatin group, KAFE and cisplatin
co-treatment group, KAFE prophylactic groups, and KAFE
post-treatment groups. Testicular histopathology, MDA, GSH,
catalase activities were determined alongside epididymal sperm
count and motility. Hormonal assay for testosterone, FSH and LH
was determined as well as morphometric parameters. Cisplatin-treated
rats suffered 44% attrition rate with significantly reduced
weight compared to controls and KAFE treated rats. Similarly,
sperm motility was below 50% in cisplatin-treated rats while
KAFE treatment resulted in over 70% motility. The
cross-sectional area of seminiferous tubules in cisplatin-treated
rats was 27.77 ± 0.9 × 103 µm2 as against
35.28 ± 1.6 × 103 µm2 in controls. While
in cisplatin treated group the tissue levels of GSH and catalase
activities were found to be significantly lower than in control
and KAFE treated rats, MDA levels were significantly higher.
Administration of KAFE as an adjunct to cisplatin and as
post-treatment was not as effective in ameliorating the
derangements in histoarchitectural and biochemical parameters
caused by cislatin as the case when it is administered as a
prophylactic or alone. Long term treatment with KAFE in rats has
not shown any serious histoarchitectural alterations in the
testis of the animals. While it is possible that KAFE may confer
protecting capabilities against cisplatin-induced testicular
damage, our studies has proven that pre-treatment offers a
better option in reducing the ravages caused by cisplatin in the
testis in a mechanism believed to be free-radical mediated.
Key words:
Kigelia africana, testicular toxicity, cisplatin,
long-term treatment. |
