Intensive Swimming Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress and Reproductive Dysfunction in Male Wistar Rats: Protective Role of α-Tocopherol Succinate

Abstract

In the present study, 30 male rats (age 3 mos, Wt 128.6 +/- 3.7 g) were randomly divided into Control group (CG), Experimental group (EG), and Supplemented group (SG), 10 per group. An exercise protocol (3 hrs swimming per day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks) was followed in EG and SG, with no exercise in CG. In SG, alpha-tocopherol succinate was injected sub-cutaneously at a dose of 50 mg x kg(- 1) per body weight per day. After 4 weeks of exercise, significant diminutions (p < 0.05) were noted in somatic indices of testes and accessory sex organs; seminiferous tubuler diameter (STD); testicular (delta (5), 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase delta(5), 3 beta-HSD), 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-HSD) activities; plasma levels of testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH); preleptotine spermatocytes (pLSc), mid-pachytene spermatocytes (mPSc), and Stage 7 spermatids (7 Sd); testicular alpha-tocopherol and glutathione (GSH) content; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activities in EG when compared to CG. Moreover, a significant elevation (p < 0.05) in malondialdehyde (MDA) was found in testes of EG compared to CG. No significant alteration was noted in body weight among the groups. Co-administration of alpha-tocopherol succinate restored the above parameters. Intensive swimming exercise-induced oxidative stress causes dysfunction in the male reproductive system, which can be protected by alpha-tocopherol succinate.

Antioxidant Systems and Oxidative Stress in the Testes

“…Vitamin E has also been shown to suppress lipid peroxidation in testicular microsomes and mitochondria 36,37 and to reverse the detrimental effects of oxidative stress on testicular function mediated by exposure to such factors as ozone, iron overload, intensive exercise or exposure to aflatoxin, PCB, cyclophosphamide and formaldehyde. 28,32,33,[38][39][40][41][42] Furthermore testicular vitamin E levels have also been shown to fall significantly when oxidative stress is induced by exposure to pro-oxidant stimuli such as chromium. 34 Although catalase is of limited importance in the testes, there are several isoforms of GPx in this tissue that use glutathione (GSH) as a source of electrons to reduce H 2 O 2 to water.…”

“…The fact that these effects can be reversed by the administration of an antioxidant, α-tocopherol succinate, confirms the importance of oxidative stress in the aetiology of such exercise-dependent testicular dysfunction. 40 Reproductive hormone imbalance. The immediate endocrine environment of the testes has a major impact on the antioxidant status of this organ.…”

Discontinuous versus Continuous Drinking of Ethanol in Peripubertal Rats: Effect on 24-Hour Pattern of Hypophyseal-Gonadal Axis Activity and Anterior Pituitary Oxidative Stress

“…ether stress in male rats [26]. With respect to testosterone, it is interesting to note that in addition to the impressive amount of evidence supporting an inhibitory role of stress on testosterone secretion [27,28,29,30,31,32,33], there are also data indicating that testosterone levels in blood may increase at the initial stages of acute stress [34]. Since in some cases the increase of testosterone levels is unrelated to the circulating LH levels, the temporary rise in testosterone could be partly due to an increased testicular sensitivity to LH presumably via a local sympathetic stimulation [34].…”

Is There a Link between Exercise and Male Factor Infertility?

“…Furthermore, it is clear from previous studies that exercise of sufficient volume, intensity, and duration is positively correlated to an increase in ROS and RNS production, and, in turn, OS [59,[65][66][67][68]. Several studies performed in rats have shown an increase in OS and a decrease in hormone levels and sperm cell lineages [69,70]. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise have been shown to potentially induce free radical production [71].…”