Evaluation of Sperm Quality and Serum Parameters in Sertraline-Exposed Mice and Protective Role of Vitamin E

Sertraline is one of the antidepressants whose effects on the reproductive system has faced controversial reports. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin E against sertraline-induced injuries on serum and sperm parameters.

In this experimental study, 40 adult male mice were divided into eight groups of 5. Four groups of mice received vitamin E at 100 international units per kg body weight via gavage for 42 days. In three of the above groups, sertraline was administered orally at 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight four hours after receiving vitamin E. One group was considered as the control group. Twenty-four hours after the final treatment, blood samples were collected from the heart and sperm quality parameters including count, motility, viability, chromatin density, abnormal forms, and sperm DNA damage were measured.

Sertraline significantly increased abnormal sperm (25.8±2.04) and significantly decreased the count (30.2±2.77), motility (68.30±2.94), viability (75.4±3.20) and maturation (84.0±1.58) of sperm compared to control group (10.4±1.14, 39.6±2.07, 89.37±1.87, 92.6±3.71, and 97.4±1.14, respectively) (P<0.05). Vitamin E administration significantly improved abnormal sperm (17.8±2.28), count (37.2±1.92), motility (78.27±2.10), viability (83.2±2.38) and maturation (83.4±1.81) of sperm (p<0.05).

The results of this study showed that vitamin E decreases the reproductive toxicity of sertraline in mice by improving serum and sperm parameters.