Effect of Sardine- drived (Sardinella sp.)Bioactive peptides on seminiferous tubules Following Heat Stress Induction in Mature Male Rat

Damage due to thermal stress in the testicles is one of the causes of infertility in men and most of the mammals. Bioactive peptides have potent antioxidant activity against free radicals and reactive oxygen species. In this study, animals were randomly categorized into 6 groups; group 1 served as a control(22 ◦ C), group 2 was a bioactive peptide(10 mg kg-1 day, oral gavage, respectively) , group 3 was a heat-stressed (43 ◦ C), groups 4,5 and 6 were heat-stressed(43 ◦ C) along with bioactive peptides (5, 10 and 20 mg kg-1 day, oral gavage, respectively). After treatment (45 days), the testes were separated for histological and biochemical studies. Histopathological analysis revealed severe testicular damage following heat stress induction. Heat stress increased nitric oxide significantly(P 0/05). In the heat-stressed rats treated with 5 and 10 mg / kg bioactive peptide, no improvement was observed. Treatment of animals with 20 mg / kg showed positive effects on spermatogenesis and seminiferous tubules structure. The results of nitric oxide analysis showed a decrease in this biochemical factor following peptide treatment at a dose of 20 mg / kg(P 0/05). The results of this study showed the antioxidant effects of sardine-derived bioactive peptide on tissue and biochemical markers of testicular tissue.