Cisplatin is one of the most active cytotoxic agents in the treatment of cancer. High doses of cisplatin have also been known to produce hepatotoxicity, and several studies suggest that supplemental antioxidants can reduce cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. The present study was designed to determine the effects on the liver and heart oxidant/antioxidant system and the possible protective effects of ellagic acid on liver and heart toxicity induced by cisplatin. The control group received 0.9% saline; animals in the ellagic acid group received only ellagic acid (10 mg/kg); animals in the cisplatin group received only cisplatin (7 mg/kg); animals in cisplatin + ellagic acid group received ellagic acid for 10 days after cisplatin. The rats were killed at the end of the treatment period. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities were determined in liver and heart tissue. While administration of cisplatin increased the MDA levels in liver and heart tissues, it decreased the GSH, GSH-Px and CAT in these samples when compared to the control group. The administration of ellagic acid to cisplatin-treated rats decreased the MDA levels, and increased GSH, GSH-Px and CAT in these samples. Cisplatin caused marked damages in the histopathological status of liver and heart tissues. These damages were ameliorated by ellagic acid administration. In conclusion, ellagic acid may be used in combination with cisplatin in chemotherapy to improve cisplatin-induced oxidative stress parameters.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the likelihood of detrimental effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) on male reproductive system through oxidative stress mechanism and also protective effects of cinnamon bark oil (CBO). For this purpose, 28 healthy male Wistar rats were divided into four groups, seven rats in each. Group 1 received only olive oil daily; group 2 was treated with 100 mg kg(-1) CBO daily; group 3 was treated with only 0.25 ml kg(-1) CCl4 weekly; and group 4 received weekly CCl4 + daily CBO. All administrations were made by intragastric catheter and maintained for 10 weeks. Body and reproductive organ weights, sperm characteristics, testicular oxidative stress markers and testicular apoptosis were examined. CCl4 administration caused significant decreases in body and reproductive organ weights, testicular catalase (CAT) activity, sperm motility and concentration, and significant increases in lipid peroxidation (LPO) level, abnormal sperm rate and apoptotic index along with some histopathological damages compared with the control group. However, significant improvements were observed in absolute weights of testis and epididymis, all sperm quality parameters, LPO level, apoptotic index and testicular histopathological structure following the administration of CCl4 together with CBO when compared to group given CCl4 only. The findings of this study clearly suggest that CBO has protective effect against damages in male reproductive organs and cells induced by CCl4 .

The purpose of this study was to determine the kisspeptin-10 (Kiss) administration on the damages in testicular oxidant-antioxidant system, reproductive organ weights and some spermatological characteristics resulted from methotrexate (MTX) exposure. Group 1 (n:6) received saline only; group 2 (n:6) received 50 nmol/kg kisspeptin-10 for 10 days; group 3 (n:10) received single-dose methotrexate 20 mg/kg; and group 4 (n:10) received MTX 20 mg/kg single dose and, after 3 days, received kisspeptin-10, 50 nmol/kg, lasted for 10 days by intraperitoneal injection. At the end of the study, malondialdehyde levels were found to have increased following the application of MTX while showing a significant reduction in group 4 with Kiss administration. With respect to the spermatological parameters, administering MTX decreased motility and increased the rates of abnormal spermatozoa in group 2, while improvements were observed in group 4 in the form of increased motility in the spermatozoa and fewer abnormal spermatozoa. In addition, Kiss treatment provided statistically significant increases in the absolute weight of the seminal vesicles and the relative weights of the right cauda epididymis and seminal vesicles resulting from MTX administration. MTX administration damaged some spermatological parameters and increased oxidative stress when compared to the control group. However, Kiss treatment was observed to mitigate these adverse effects as demonstrated by the improvements in coadministration of Kiss and MTX when compared to the MTX group. It is concluded that Kiss treatment may reduce MTX-induced reproductive toxicity as a potential antioxidant compound.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of testosterone propionate and vitamin E on the antioxidant system in the testis. Thirty-two male New Zealand White rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. The first group was used as control. The second group was injected with testosterone propionate, the third group vitamin E and the fourth group vitamin E and testosterone propionate combination. All treatments were carried out during 6 weeks and oxidative parameters were evaluated in homogenized testicular tissue. The levels of vitamin E and the activity of glutathione peroxidase were lower (P < 0.05) in the testosterone group than in controls. However, vitamin C and malondialdehyde levels were higher (P < 0.05) in this group than in controls. The levels of reduced glutathione, beta-carotene, vitamin C and E increased, but malondialdehyde levels decreased in the vitamin E group, when compared with controls (P < 0.05). Vitamin E and beta-carotene levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the combination group than in testosterone group. However, MDA levels were lower (P < 0.05) in combination group than in the testosterone group. In conclusion, administration of testosterone propionate led to a significant elevation of oxidative stress. Vitamin E is quite an effective antioxidant which protects rabbit testis against lipid peroxidation, and, testosterone-induced lipid peroxidation could be improved by additional vitamin E treatment.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of quercetin on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 )-induced sperm damages, testicular apoptosis and oxidative stress in male rats. Group 1 served as control, group 2 was treated with only quercetin, group 3 was treated with only CCl4 and group 4 received CCl4 + quercetin. All administrations were performed by gavage and maintained for 10 weeks. CCl4 administration caused significant decreases in absolute and relative reproductive organ weights, sperm motility, concentration and testicular glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) activities, and significant increases in lipid peroxidation (LPO) level, abnormal sperm rate and testicular apoptotic cell index, along with some histopathological damages when compared to the control group. However, administration of CCl4 together with quercetin provided statistically significant improvements in LPO level, abnormal sperm rate, the degree of histopathological lesions and testicular apoptotic cell index when compared to only CCl4 group. In addition, improvements observed in absolute and relative weights of reproductive organs, sperm motility and concentration, and testicular GSH-Px and CAT activities in group 4 were statistically insignificant when compared to only CCl4 group. In conclusion, quercetin has antiperoxidative effect, and its oral administration attenuates the CCl4 -induced some damages in male reproductive organs and cells by decreasing the LPO.

In this study we investigated whether the increase of hepatic vitamin E content by intraperitoneal administration, influences chronic liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in rats. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. The first group was used as a control and the rats in the second group were administered CCl(4) in olive oil subcutaneously. Rats in the third group were administered intraperitoneally vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol acetate, 100 mg kg(-1)). This administration was performed three times per week for five weeks. Liver samples were used for the determination of vitamin E levels, glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and histological examination. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, total and conjugated bilirubin were significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) higher in animals treated with CCl(4) than in the controls and had returned to normal values by the administration of vitamin E + CCl(4 ). Liver vitamin E levels were significantly (p<0.05) lower in the CCl(4) group than in the control group. However, the liver vitamin E content was significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) increased in the vitamin E + CCl(4) injected group. On the other hand, liver GSHPx activity was not statistically different among the groups. On histological examination, vitamin E administered animals showed incomplete, but significant, prevention of liver necrosis and cirrhosis induced by CCl(4 ). these data indicate that intraperitoneally administered vitamin E has protective effects against CCl(4)-induced chronic liver damage and cirrhosis as evidenced by biochemical data and conventional histological examination.

The plasma levels of lipoperoxides, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), reduced glutathione (GSH), beta carotene, vitamin A, E, some plasma biochemical and blood haematological parameters were investigated in 40 women with habitual abortion (HA) and controls. The levels of GSH, vitamin A, E and beta carotene were significantly lower in women with HA than in controls. However, the plasma levels of lipid peroxidation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glucose and blood haemoglobin were significantly higher in HA than in controls. In addition, plasma levels of GSH-Px, AST, ALT, total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, sodium, potassium, calcium and number of white blood cells, red blood cells, platelet and values of packet cell volume showed no significant differences between HA and controls. According to the results of this study, we observed that the levels of lipid peroxidation were increased and plasma levels of vitamin A, E and beta carotene were decreased in HA. The decrease of those antioxidants may play a significant role in women with habitual abortion.

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E intake on lipid peroxidation (LPO) by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), vitamin E and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px: EC 1.11.1.9) activity in plasma, red blood cells (RBC), livers, and kidneys of rabbits dosed with cadmium (Cd). Six-month-old clinically healthy New Zealand White rabbits (8 in each group) were given tap water only, containing 1 g CdCl2/L, or tap water with CdCl2 plus vitamin E (100 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate in 0.2 mL corn oil) daily for 30 days. The vitamin E level in the plasma, liver, and kidneys was significantly higher in the control than in the Cd-only group, and TBARS levels were significantly lower. There were no statistical differences between the control and Cd-only groups GSH-Px activities and GSH levels in RBC, liver, and kidneys. Vitamin E levels in plasma, liver, and kidneys and GSH-Px activity in RBC were higher in the vitamin E group than in both control and Cd-only groups. However, the TBARS levels of RBC, liver, and kidneys in vitamin E administered group were decreased. Therefore, the present study demonstrates the effectiveness of vitamin E in reducing oxidative stress in Cd-treated rabbits and suggests that reductions in increased TBARS due to Cd toxicity may be an important factor in the action of vitamin E.