Endocrine Abstracts

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a worldwide used organophosphate insecticide for controlling many types of pests in the household, farm and residential settings. It has the potential to negatively affect the reproductive system and fertility. Nigella sativa has been used both as seeds or oil to promote health and fight disease. Hence, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the possible protective role of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) against chlorpyrifos induced reproductive toxicity in male rats. Thirty two adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups/8 of each and were daily treated for 30 consecutive days as follow: group I served as control, group II was orally administered Nigella sativa oil (NSO) (1 ml/kg/day); group III was orally given an emulsion solution of chlorpyrifos (CPF) at dose of 20 mg/kg/day, while group IV was pretreated with NSO (1 ml/kg/day) and after 30 min received CPF (20 mg/kg/day). In this experiment, body weight gain and relative weights of vital and reproductive organs, sperm characteristics, testosterone and free thyroxin (FT4) levels and histopathological changes in the testes were investigated. Results elicit that CPF induces a significant decrease in body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and the relative weight of testes (RTW) and epididymes (REW) whereas, an increase in the relative weight of liver (RLW), kidney (RKW) and adrenal gland (RAW) was noted. Besides, treatment with CPF affects markedly the semen characteristics that pronounced by a reduction in sperm count (SC) and spermatids number (SN), daily sperm production (DSP), sperm motility and viability, however abnormal sperm morphology was augmented. Serum testosterone and FT4 levels were significantly lowered in CPF-group. Histopathological examination of testes showed a decrease in the number of seminiferous tubules along by their shrinkage, enlargement of the connective tissue and gametogenic changes in germ cells. NSO co-administration with CPF reverses partly or completely the changes in the relative reproductive and vital organs weights, semen characteristics, hormones levels and the histopathological injuries of testes to the normal status and thereby improved semen quality. By the term of this research, we concluded that NSO can improve semen picture and moderate CPF-induced reproductive toxicity.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.