An Evaluation of Influence of Citrus paradisi Seed Extract on Doxorubicin-Induced Testicular Oxidative Stress and Impaired Spermatogenesis

The therapeutic value of Doxorubicin (DOX) as anticancer antibiotic is limited by its organotoxicity. It has been shown that free radicals are involved in doxorubicin-induced toxicity. Doxorubicin causes the generation of free radicals and the induction of oxidative stress, associated with cellular injury. Because of the great importance of DOX in cancer therapy, researchers have expended great efforts trying to prevent or attenuate the side effects of DOX administration. There has, however, been only a little success in this regard. In this study the ameliorating role of antioxidant-rich ethanolic seed extract of Citrus paradisi (CP) on DOX-induced testicular oxidative stress and impaired sperm parameters was investigated. Three experimental groups of Wistar rats were used; CP-alone group that received orally CP 10 mg kg -1 b.wt. daily for 14 days followed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) Normal Saline (NS) 2.5 mg kg -1 b.wt. DOX-alone group that had ip DOX 10 mg kg -1 b.wt. as a single dose. CP plus DOX-group that were similarly given DOX, but also had oral CP 10 mg kg -1 b.wt. pretreatment for 14 days. There was also a corresponding control group. The animals were autopsied 8 weeks after DOX or NS injections. Results showed that DOXinduced reduction in sperm motility and epididymal sperm concentrations as well as increase in total abnormal sperm rates were all normalized in the group pretreated with CP. Pretreatment with CP ameliorated the testicular content of Glutathione (GSH) and Auperoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activities. Similarly, CP treatment attenuated the DOX-induced increase in testicular lipid peroxidation reflected by malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. These data indicate that CP protects the rat testis against DOX-induced oxidative stress and deranged sperm characteristics.