Acrylamide-Induced Testicular Toxicity and Oxidative Stress in Male Albino Rats: Potential Protection by Natural Antioxidant-Naringin

HistoryAcrylamide (ACR), being one of the major public health concerns, is produced during frying and baking of different foods and is widely used in various sectors such as research laboratories and cosmetics.This study aimed to induce testicular toxicity of acrylamide and to investigate a possible protective effect of natural antioxidant naringin in male albino rats.A total of twenty-five adult albino rats, aged 12-14 weeks, were used.Acrylamide was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 30mg/kg daily for 20 days to induce testicular toxicity.Naringin was administered at doses of 75 and 100mg/kg by oral gavage daily for 20 days.Light microscopy examination showed necrotic spermatids, oedema, severe thinning and degeneration of wall of seminiferous tubules and necrotic spermatids in the lumen of seminiferous tubules.Comet assay undertaken on testicular cells showed genotoxicity in the form of comet cells in acrylamide treated group.Likely, acrylamide-treated rats gavaged with naringin showed a reduction in DNA damage.Antioxidative and oxidative stress profile in testicular tissues of rats showed a significant increase in (ROS and TBARS) in acrylamidetreated rats with lower values of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, GSH, and CAT) compared to normal rats.The supplementation with naringin partially mitigates the induction of inflammation and oxidative stress.Together, Naringin, particularly at higher doses, could potentially offer a protective mechanism against ACR-mediated testicular toxicity.In conclusion, at the used dose, ACR caused toxic effects in male rats that can be reduced by concomitant treatment with a higher dose of naringin.