Probiotic microorganisms affect the reproductive and nervous systems of male rats treated with acrylamide

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the protective effects of probiotic microorganisms on the reproductive and nervous systems of male rats treated with acrylamide.

Methods: Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into 4 groups and received normal saline through gavage (control), acrylamide 20 mg/kg body weight, acrylamide plus probiotic microorganisms (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, Streptococcus thermophilus and fructooligosaccharides, all mixed in sachets) 20 or 200 mg/kg body weight, respectively. After 30 days, the testis, prostate, seminal vesicle and cerebellum were removed, fixed and stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H & E). The Johnsen score was used to classify spermatogenesis. Cavalieri's principle method was used to evaluate the total volume (in mm³) of the testes. The number of each intratubular cell type as well as intertubular Leydig cells in whole samples was measured using the physical dissector counting techniques. Stereological analysis and the grids were used to determine the volume of cerebellar layers as well as the Purkinje cell number.

Results: The testis weight decreased significantly in the acrylamide- treated group compared to the other groups (P<0.001). The number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and Leydig cells in the acrylamide-treated group were significantly less compared to the control group (P<0.05), while they were increased significantly in the acrylamide+200 mg/kg probiotic group (P<0.05; P<0.01). The mean Johnsen score in the acrylamide-treated group was lower than in the control group (P<0.001). Acrylamide-induced changes including congestion, vacuolization in the secretory epithelial cells, and epithelial rupture were observed in the prostate and seminal vesicle. The volumes of cerebellar layers were decreased in the acrylamide group compared to the control group while recovered in both probiotic treated groups.

Conclusions: Probiotic microorganisms alleviate acrylamide- induced toxicities against the reproductive and cerebellar tissues in rats.

Keywords

Acrylamide / Cerebellum / Microorganisms / Probiotics / Prostate / Rats / Testis

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate technical help from staff in the Department of Physiology and the Department of Anatomy at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Funding

Financial support was provided by a grant from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran (grant number 5689).

Authors’ contributions

Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddam and Seyed Mohammad Seifati contributed to the study's conception and design. Material preparation, animal interventions, data collection and analysis were performed by Seyed Mohammad Seifati, Maryam Yadegari, Fatemeh Zakizadeh and Fateme Zare. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Seyed Mohammad Seifati and Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddam. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors declare that all data were generated in-house and that no paper mill was used.

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