Protective effect of co-enzyme Q10 on testicular tissue and sperm parameters in adult male rats treated with Sunset Yellow FCF

Abstract

Objective: To determine the protective effect of co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) on testicular tissue and sperm parameters in male rats treated with Sunset Yellow FCF.

Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of the control, CoQ10 (10 mg/kg/day), low dose of Sunset Yellow (2.5 mg/kg), high dose of Sunset Yellow (70 mg/kg), low dose of Sunset Yellow (2.5 mg/kg) plus CoQ10, and high dose of Sunset Yellow (70 mg/kg) plus CoQ10. The drugs were administered via daily oral gavages for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, sperm analysis, stereological and histological assessments of the testis were carried out.

Results: The normal morphology (by 41.1%) and progressive spermatozoa (by 74.8%), testicle volume (by 33.4%), lumen volume (by 38.3%), interstitial tissue volume (by 44.7%), seminiferous tubule volume (by 40.7%), and number of spermatogonia (by 53.9%) and Leydig cells (by 70.7%) reduced in the rats that received high doses of Sunset Yellow in comparison to the control group. Nonetheless, all these alterations were recovered by CoQ10 treatment in the CoQ10 plus high dose of Sunset Yellow group. Furthermore, low doses of Sunset Yellow did not affect different parameters of the testis and sperm.

Conclusions: CoQ10 could, to some extent, prevent structural changes of the testis induced by the high dose of Sunset Yellow.

Keywords

Sunset Yellow FCF / Co-enzyme Q10 / Testicle / Sperm / Stereology

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This work was performed at the Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Center and was financially supported by grant No. 94-7624 from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences.

Authors’ contributions

Rohollah Nazari carried out experimental study, data acquisition, data analysis, and statistical analysis; Somayeh Akbari performed statistical analysis and manuscript preparation; Maryam Naseh carried out intellectual content manuscript review and manuscript preparation; Shayan Yousufzai executed experimental study and data acquisition; Seyede Fatemeh Hosseini performed intellectual content manuscript review and literature review; Fatemeh Karimi performed design, literature review, manuscript editing, and review.

Publisher’s Note

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