Protective Effects of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Testis Histological Structure in Cyclophosphamide Treated Adult Mice

Background and Cyclophosphamide (Cyclo) is a common chemotherapy medicine that reduces male fertility. Various antioxidant agents have been used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy medicines. Zinc oxide nano particles (nZno) have been introduced as a potent antioxidant. This study aimed at investigating the protective effects of nZno on testis tissue structure in Cyclo treated mice.
We conducted an experimental study in which 15 adult male mice were divided into three groups (n=5 per group) and treated for 4 weeks as: 1) control: normal saline (0.1 cc daily), 2) treatment I: Cyclo (15 mg/kg, once a week) and 3) treatment II: Cylo (15 mg/kg kg, once a week) nZno (5mg/kg, daily) intraperitoneally. Twenty four hr after the last administration of drugs, the animals were euthanized and right testes were isolated and fixed. Five-micrometer testicular tissue sections were prepared according to routine histotechnique process and were studied by light microscope.
Compared with the control group, cyclophosphamide reduced the diameter and septal epithelium thickness of the seminiferous tubuli, primary spermatocyte, spermatid, and spermatozoid (P≤0.05) while co administration of nZno with cyclophosphamide prevented these changes (P≤0.05). nZno also prevented the luminal extension and epithelial disorganization of seminiferous tubuli induced by cyclophosphamide.
nZno could prevent testicular tissue changes and reduction of spermatogenic cell counts induced by cyclophosphamide.