Effect of Vaccinium Arctostaphylus Plant Extract on the Histopathological Alterations of Cisplatin on Testicular Tissue

The destructive effects of anticancer drugs such as cisplatin are well known. In recent years, it has been found that medicinal plants have a fundamental role in protecting the damage caused by drug. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vaccinium arctostaphylus plant one of the prevalent materials in traditional medicine in improving the disorders caused by cisplatin in testicular tissue.

In this research, forty rats were divided into 5 groups (G) (n=8) based on administration cisplatin and extract of vaccinium arctostaphylus. In G1 physiological serum was injected and in G2 only cisplatin was administrated. In G3, G4, and G5 Arctostaphylus vaccinium extract with a concentration of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg along with a single dose of cisplatin were administrated. After 24 hours, the rats were sacrificed, and then testis was isolated and subjected to histopathological evaluation with t-test and one-way ANOVA test on Prism-GraphPad 9.

Our results showed that in the G2 group, the number of spermatogonial cells was reduced compare with G1 (P=0.01); As well as the thickness of the germinal epithelium and the diameter of the seminiferous tubules were reduced partially. In G3 and G4 groups in comparison with G2, the germinal epithelium was improved (P=0.02). The preservation of spermatogonial cells in G3 significantly increased compare with G2 (P=0.01).  

According to the results, Arctostaphyllus vaccine as a native plant in defined dosages has a significant effect on improving cisplatin-induced disorders in the germinal epithelium and the number of spermatogonial cells preservation.