Effect of the flavonoid quercetin on mitochondrial membrane potential and neutrophilic infiltration following methotrexate-induced testicular injury in rats

Methotrexate as a chemotherapeutic drug causes damage and oxidative stress in testicular tissue. Quercetin is a flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of quercetin flavonoid on mitochondrial membrane potential and neutrophil infiltration following testicular damage due to methotrexate in rats.

40 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, treated with quercetin, methotrexate and two groups of methotrexate treated with quercetin at doses of 10 and 50 mg/kg. Methotrexate was injected intraperitoneally at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Quercetin was administered daily by gavage from one day before methotrexate injection until two weeks later. At the end of the test, the testes were isolated and myeloperoxidase activity was measured as a specific marker of neutrophil infiltration and the potential of mitochondrial membrane in testicular homogenization. One-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test were used for statistical analysis.

The mitochondrial membrane potential of methotrexate group showed a significant decrease compared to the control group (p=0.001). Quercetin at a dose of 50 mg/kg could improve the mitochondrial membrane potential compared to the methotrexate group (p=0.081). The level of myeloperoxidase in methotrexate group showed a significant increase compared to the control group (p=0.027) and quercetin at a dose of 50 mg/kg showed a somewhat reducing effect on the reduction of neutrophil infiltration compared to the methotrexate group (p=0.093).

The results of this study briefly showed that quercetin treatment reduces some of the side effects of methotrexate in testicular tissue, including adverse changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and, to some extent, neutrophilic infiltration.