Cherry laurel fruit extract counters dimethoate-induced reproductive impairment and testicular apoptosis

Abstract

Dimethoate is an organophosphorus pesticide used against agricultural insects, which causes oxidative stress and damage in many organs, including the reproductive ones. Cherry laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) fruit is rich in vitamins and phenolic compounds with antioxidant effect. The aim of this study was to investigate how effective its extract would be against dimethoate-induced testis and sperm damage in rats. Sixty animals were divided in six groups of 10. Group 1 (control) received only 1 mL of saline (0.9 % NaCl). Group 2 received 7 mg/kg of dimethoate in 1 mL of saline. Group 3 received 4 mg/kg of extract in 1 mL of saline. Group 4 received the extract 30 min before dimethoate administration. Group 5 received vitamin C (positive control, 100 mg/kg in 1 mL of saline) 30 min before dimethoate administration. Group 6 received only dimethoate for the first four weeks and then a combination of dimethoate and extract for another four weeks. All doses were administered daily by oral gavage. After eight weeks of treatment, the rats were euthanised and their reproductive organs removed. We took their body and reproductive organ weights and evaluated testicular oxidative stress, semen characteristics, sperm DNA damage, testicular apoptosis, and histopathological changes. Dimethoate significantly decreased body and reproductive organ weights, sperm motility and concentration, testicular superoxide dismutase, and glutathione-peroxidase activities and significantly increased lipid peroxidation, abnormal sperm rate, sperm DNA damage, testicular apoptosis, and caused histopathological lesions. Cherry laurel extract significantly countered many dimethoate-induced adverse effects, both as pre- and post-treatment, including reproductive organ weight, semen parameters, oxidant-antioxidant balance, sperm DNA integrity, testicular apoptosis, and histological structure. Our findings clearly suggest that the beneficial effects of the extract are associated with countering oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation in particular.

Dietary composition influences sperm quality and testis damage via endoplasmic reticulum stress in lambs

“…Bakir et al. ( 2020 ) reported that cherry extract (Cherry laurel = Laurocerasus officinalis Roem.) was given to rats with damaged testicular tissue for 8 weeks‐maintained oxidant‐antioxidant balance.…”

“…Bakir et al. ( 2020 ) reported that cherry extract (Cherry laurel = Laurocerasus officinalis Roem) given to rats with damaged testicular tissue for 8 weeks provided sperm DNA integrity. In this study, the corn gluten group significantly decreased the Bcl‐2 level when compared to the soybean meal and wheat gluten groups ( p < 0.05), indicating that the cells were more prone to apoptosis.…”

Sperm abnormality and infertility in male mice treated with the recommended dose of dimethoate and its double

“…The same result was obtained by Sasi et al (2018b) and Sasi and EL-Ghoul (2021) . The possible reason for the effect of DM on the embryos may be attributed to alterations in sperm DNA of male mice treated with DM by overproduction of free radicals ( Navarro and Bustos, 2014 ; Bakir et al ., 2020 ).…”

“…Several studies reported that DM has harmful effects on liver ( Heikal et al ., 2011 ; Saafi et al ., 2011 ; Al-Ali et al ., 2016 ), ovary ( Farag et al ., 2007 ), brain ( Astiz et al ., 2009 ), blood parameters ( Yasin and Sharma, 2013 ), the embryos ( Sasi et al ., 2013 ) and also induce DNA damage in mice bone marrow ( Ayed-Boussema et al ., 2012 ). Many studies have shown that male mice treated with DM caused a decrease in sperm motility and an increase in the percentage of abnormal sperm ( Jallouli et al ., 2015 ; Sasi et al ., 2018a , 2018b ), as well as structural alterations in testicular tissues ( Bakir et al ., 2020 ; Sasi and ELGhoul, 2021 ). The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the recommended dose of DM and its double on sex hormones, sperm morphology, and fertility in adult male mice.…”

Melatonin Rescues Dimethoate Exposure-Induced Meiotic and Developmental Defects of Porcine Oocytes

“…In males, maternal exposure to DT disrupted the pituitary-testicular axis of mice neonates and inhibited steroidogenesis of adult mice [ 18 ]. Indeed, direct exposure to DT by oral administration reduced testicular weight and severely impaired sperm quality in mice [ 19 , 20 ] and rats [ 21 ]. At the cellular level, DT exposure also inhibited steroidogenesis [ 22 ] and differentiation of leydig cells [ 23 ].…”