Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible beneficial effects of resveratrol in mice subjected to vinyl cyclohexene dieposide (VCD) -induced testicular toxicity.
Material and methods: A total of thirty- six Swiss albino male mice aged 28-days were used in the present study. The study was composed of two stages where mice which received or did not receive VCD (320 mg/kg/day) were administered resveratrol. The animals were assigned into control and resveratrol-treated groups in the first stage and into groups of VCD- and VCD+resveratrol-treated groups in the second stage. At the end of the experiments, relative testicular weight (TW/BW) and dry/wet weight of testis (TDW/TWW) were calculated. Histological analysis by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical staining by BAX and Bcl-2 were performed. Serum testosterone, LH and FSH levels were measured by a commercially available ELISA kit.
Results: Resveratrol caused a dose-dependent increase in TW/BW and decrease in TDW/TWW (p<0.05). Resveratrol at a dose of 20 mg/kg resulted in an improvement in testosterone, LH and FSH levels in mice with VCD-induced testicular toxicity (p<0.001). Resveratrol also improved apoptotic index and epithelial cell height of testicular seminipherous tubuli significantly after VCD exposure (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Results of the present study suggest that resveratrol can be used as a protective and/or therapeutic agent particularly for cases with male infertility caused by testicular toxicity.
Keywords: Mice; resveratrol; testis; toxicity.