Rosmarinic Acid Restored Testicular Function and Steroidogenic Hormone Capacity in Wistar Rats Exposed to Perfluorooctanoic Acid Toxicity

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an environmental toxicant which cause adverse health effects including male infertility and DNA damage in the germ line via altered oxidative stress activity. Rosmarinic acid (RA), one of the most important polyphenols, is a natural dietary nutraceutical with antioxidant property on adverse effects of toxicants. This study seeks to assess the restorative effect of RA on PFOA-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats. Twenty adult male rats (150-250g) were categorized into four groups (n =5). Animals in group 1 (control) took distilled water. Animals in categories 2 - 4 which were induced toxicity by PFOA (20 mg/kg body weight) were treated with distilled water, RA (40 mg/kg body weight) and Vitamin E (180 mg/kg body weight) respectively. Treatment was for 14 days. The epididymis was used for sperm analysis while blood sample was used for hormonal marker assay. Induction of PFOA substantively (p<0.05) lowered body weight, testes weight, sperm count, sperm motility, sperm morphology, testosterone, LH and FSH when compared with the distilled treated water treated control animals. Treatment of PFOA-induced toxic rats with RA significantly (p<0.05) restored epididymal sperm count, motility and morphology as well as body and testicular weight and those of serum hormone biomarkers in relation to Vitamin E. Results indicated that rosmarinic acid restored epididymal, testicular and hormonal PFOA-induced toxicity. This suggests that RA could be a potential therapeutic agent against PFOA- induced testicular damage.