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Effects of rosiglitazone and vitamin E on testicular tissue and sperm parameters in propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism in rats

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Abstract

Thyroid dysfunction has been reported to negatively affect the male reproductive system. A clear link exists between thyroid hormone (TH) and testicular development and function. Here, the effects of one of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonists, rosiglitazone (RSG), and vitamin E (Vit E) on testicular histology in propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroidism were investigated. Thirty-five juvenile male Wistar rats were included in 5 groups: control group, hypothyroid group which received 0.05% PTU in drinking water, and rats in groups 3 and 4 besides PTU, treated with 4 mg/kg RSG and 20 mg/kg Vit E, respectively. Animals in group 5 received only 20 mg/kg Vit E. Germ cell apoptosis was determined by transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay as well as the swimout sperm analyzed for count, morphology, and sperm chromatin quality. The sperm morphology and chromatin quality were evaluated with Papanicolaou and Toluidine blue (TB) stainings. Exposure to PTU significantly increased TUNEL-positive germ cells of the testis, while RSG and Vit E administration decreased significantly apoptotic germ cells. Moreover, in hypothyroid rats, sperm count, normal morphology, and sperm chromatin quality significantly decreased. In contrast, RSG and Vit E improved sperm parameters compared to the hypothyroid group. Thus, RSG and Vit E appear to provide protective impacts against testicular damages induced by hypothyroidism.

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Acknowledgements

The authors also would like to acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs. F. Motejaded.

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledged the financial support for this work rendered by the vice-chancellor for research (grant number: 992211), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Paramedical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran

    Elnaz Khordad

  2. Division of Neurocognitive Sciences, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahmoud Hosseini

  3. Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahmoud Hosseini, Alireza Ebrahimzadeh-Bideskan & Fatemeh Mansouritorghabeh

  4. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Alireza Ebrahimzadeh-Bideskan, Maryam Sefidgar Tehrani & Fatemeh Alipour

  5. Student Research Committee, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran

    Yousef Baghcheghi

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  1. Elnaz Khordad
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  2. Mahmoud Hosseini
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  3. Alireza Ebrahimzadeh-Bideskan
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Correspondence to Fatemeh Alipour.

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All institutional and national guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were followed. This study was done in accordance with the instructions of the National Institute of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (NIH Publications No. 80–23, revised 1978) and approved (Ethical Approved Number: IR.MUMS.REC.1400.567) by the Ethical Committee at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

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Khordad, E., Hosseini, M., Ebrahimzadeh-Bideskan, A. et al. Effects of rosiglitazone and vitamin E on testicular tissue and sperm parameters in propylthiouracil-induced hypothyroidism in rats. Comp Clin Pathol 31, 547–555 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-022-03353-1

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