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Protective effects of orally administered thymol against titanium dioxide nanoparticle–induced testicular damage

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Abstract

In this study, we investigated the potential of thymol and its mode of action to protect against the titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle–induced testicular damage. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, TiO2 (100 mg/kg BW/day) group, TiO2 + thymol (10 mg/kg BW/day) group, and TiO2 + thymol (30 mg/kg BW/day) group. With the exception of the control group, all animals received orally TiO2 nanoparticles for 60 days. In treatment groups, animals were given orally thymol 1 h before TiO2 nanoparticles. Epididymal sperm parameters, testicular histopathology, and spermatogenesis assessments were performed for evaluation of the TiO2 and thymol effects on the testis. Furthermore, antioxidative enzyme activities such as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) levels and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value were measured. Intragastric administration of TiO2 for 60 consecutive days caused a significant decrease in sperm quality, widespread histopathological alteration, and significantly induced oxidative stress as manifested by elevated MDA levels and a remarkable decline in antioxidant enzyme activities such as CAT, SOD, and GPx, and also FRAP and GSH levels in testis tissue. Nearly all of these alterations were significantly ameliorated in the groups that orally received thymol before TiO2 nanoparticles administration. The results of this study demonstrated that thymol improved the spermatogenesis defects induced by TiO2 nanoparticles in rats in a dose-dependent manner by protecting the testes against the testicular toxicity. Reduction in TiO2 nanoparticle–induced oxidative stress may have a major role in this protective effect.

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Funding

This research has been supported by Urmia University of Medical Sciences and health services (1395-01-34-2453).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Health and Neurophysiology Research Center, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Abbas Jafari

  2. Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Mojtaba Karimipour

  3. Department of Occupational Health, School of Health, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Khaksar

  4. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 5715799313, Urmia, Iran

    Morteza Ghasemnejad-Berenji

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  1. Abbas Jafari
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  2. Mojtaba Karimipour
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  3. Mohammad Reza Khaksar
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  4. Morteza Ghasemnejad-Berenji
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Correspondence to Morteza Ghasemnejad-Berenji.

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Jafari, A., Karimipour, M., Khaksar, M.R. et al. Protective effects of orally administered thymol against titanium dioxide nanoparticle–induced testicular damage. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 2353–2360 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06937-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06937-7

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