In vivo Study to Evaluate the Protective Effects of Amifostine on Radiation-Induced Damage of Testis Tissue

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the early protective effects of amifostine against radiation-induced damage on rat testis tissue. Methods: Eighty adult male Wistar rats were randomized to 4 groups: Saline solution was given to group A for control, 200 mg/kg amifostine (WR-2721) to group B, a single fraction of 6 Gy local irradiation to testes in group C and 200 mg/kg amifostine 15–30 min before 6 Gy testicular irradiation to group D. Animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after treatment and their testes were removed for macroscopic, microscopic and ultrastructural histopathological examination. Results: The weights, widths and lengths of testes in the last 3 groups had decreased significantly when compared with the control group, but the decrease in widths after irradiation was found to be significantly less only in the amifostine plus radiation group. There was a significant reduction of testis weights in relation to the individual body weights in the irradiated testes compared with the other groups (p < 0.005), while there was no significant change of testis weight/total body weight ratio in amifostine plus irradiation group. Spermatogonium A and primary spermatocyte counts were also less in the treatment groups, and primary spermatocyte numbers were significantly higher in amifostine plus radiation group when compared with radiation alone group (p < 0.005). Pretreatment with amifostine reduced the decrease of primary spermatocyte counts by a factor of 1.28. Electron microscopic analysis did not show any cytotoxic effect of amifostine alone, and furthermore, ultrastructural findings were normal with the addition of amifostine prior to irradiation, though there was damage in the radiation exposure group. Conclusion: Amifostine when given alone by itself appears to cause adverse alterations in testis tissue; however, it has a radioprotective effect on spermiogenetic cells when used prior to radiation.

Amifostine Protective Effect on Cisplatin‐Treated Rat Testis

“…However, besides nuclear DNA, various cellular targets are reached by cisplatin leading to apoptosis or other cell death pathways (Gonzalez et al,2001; Fuertes et al,2003), so that the protection conferred by amifostine can also involve other complex biochemical mechanisms. The testicular cytoprotection of amifostine against the gamma‐irradiation damage has already been demonstrated (Jamaila et al,1984; Meistrich et al,1984; Andrieu et al,2005), but few studies have provided data on this subject when chemotherapeutic agents are used. We demonstrated that the previous administration of amifostine decreases the testicular damage in cisplatin treated rats.…”

Radioprotective Effects of Heat-Killed Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Cultured Cells and Radiosensitive Tissues

“…increased the possibility of teratogenesis [28][29][30][31], HKMT provide novel therapeutic strategy for radioprotection on normal tissues.…”

Histopathological and biochemical comparisons of the protective effects of amifostine and l -carnitine against radiation-induced acute testicular toxicity in rats

“…WR‐1065 selectively protects normal cells against irradiation and antineoplastic drug toxicity by scavenging free radicals, donating hydrogen ions to free radicals, depleting oxygen and binding to active derivatives of antineoplastic agents (Chatal & Hoefnagel, ; Levi et al., ). The effectiveness of AMI as a radioprotective agent in an irradiated testis has been demonstrated in previous studies (Andrieu et al., ; Jaimala & Pareek, ).…”

“…Finally, Andrieu et al. () ultrastructurally and histologically investigated the radioprotective effect of AMI on rat testes. They found that pretreatment with AMI significantly reduced the decrease in primary spermatocyte counts but not spermatogonia counts.…”