Cyclophosphamide (CP) as an anticancer alkylating agent has been known as a male reproductive tract toxicant. The aim of this study was to examine whether Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO) as an established herbal antioxidant, might protect tract rat reproductive system from toxicity of CP. To reach this aim, total antioxidant power (TAP) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in testis and plasma, blood levels of sex hormones, sperm characteristics, DNA integrity and chromatin quality, and fertility in male rats were tested. Histopathological analysis of testes and epididymides and staining of mast cells were performed for assessment of spermatogenic disorders. CP (6 mg/kg/day) and SKEO (225 mg/kg/day) were administered alone or in combination by gavage for 28 days. In the CP-exposed rats, testicular and plasma LPO increased, TAP decreased, plasma testosterone diminished, and both spermatogenesis and fertility were impaired. In CP-treated rats, a decrease in sperm quality was associated with increased DNA damage and decreased chromatin quality. Coadministration of SKEO significantly improved CP-induced changes in plasma testosterone, sperm quality, spermatogenesis and fertility, toxic stress, and DNA damage. It is concluded that CP-induced toxic effects on androgenesis and spermatogenesis is mediated by free radicals. SKEO protects reproductive system from toxicity of CP through its antioxidant potential and androgenic activity.

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The SMN by up-regulating testicular TAC, SOD, GSH-px and TTM levels and the CEL by inhibiting COX2 and iNos expression as well as NO content could fairly ameliorate the VCL-decreased spermatogenesis.

Present study was performed in order to update the possible mechanism(s), involving in nanosilver particles (NSPs)-induced detrimental impacts in ovarian tissue. For this purpose, 24 mature female rats were divided into control and 0.5, 1, 5 mg/kg NSPs-received groups (intraperitoneally, for 35 days). Follicular growth and atresia, ovarian total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) contents, serum estrogen (E ) level and macrophages infiltration were investigated. Moreover, ovarian angiogenesis, cellular mRNA damage and cytochrome aromatase CYP19 expression were analyzed. The NSPs enhanced follicular atresia diminished E reduced TAC and SOD level, elevated MDA content and up-regulated macrophages infiltration. Cellular mRNA damage, impaired angiogenesis and diminished CYP19 expression were revealed in NSPs-received groups. Therefore NSPs by down-regulating aromatization, reduce E synthesis which then it leads to impaired angiogenesis. The impaired angiogenesis in turn down-regulates ovarian antioxidant status, which partially enhances follicular atresia by triggering lipid peroxidation and mRNA damage.

Effects of clinically reachable doses of CPFX on cultured murine sperm cells were investigated and revealed that it may cause sperm cell toxicity by induction of apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in the clinically reachable concentrations.