Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine

The Korean Society for Reproductive Medicine (대한생식의학회)
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Phycocyanin alleviates alcohol-induced testicular injury in male Wistar rats

  • Oumayma Boukari (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Soumaya Ghoghbane (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Wahid Khemissi (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Thalja Lassili (Laboratory of Human and Experimental Pathological Anatomy, Pasteur Institute) ;
  • Olfa Tebourbi (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Khemais Ben Rhouma (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Mohsen Sakly (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage) ;
  • Dorsaf Hallegue (Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte, University of Carthage)
  • Received : 2023.08.05
  • Accepted : 2023.10.10
  • Published : 2024.06.30
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Abstract

Objective: Given the noteworthy implications of alcohol consumption and its association with male infertility, there has been a notable focus on investigating natural alternatives to mitigate its adverse effects. Thus, this study was conducted to assess the potential protective effect of phycocyanin extract derived from the blue algae Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis against ethanol-induced oxidative stress, disturbances in testicular morphology, and alterations in sperm production. Methods: Male rats were divided into four groups (five rats each): the control group received a saline solution, the ethanol exposed group (EtOH) was subjected to intraperitoneal injections of 10 mL/kg of ethanol solution at a concentration of 38% (v/v), the phycocyanin alone treated group (P) received oral administration of phycocyanin at a dosage of 50 mg/kg, and the phycocyanin-cotreated group (PE) was given oral phycocyanin followed by ethanol injections. All treatments were administered over a period of 14 days. Results: Our findings demonstrated that ethanol exposure induced reproductive toxicity, characterized by reduced sperm production and viability, alterations in testicular weight and morphology, increased lipid peroxidation levels, and elevated oxidative enzyme activity. In addition, the ethanol-intoxicated group showed perturbations in serum biochemical parameters. However, the simultaneous exposure to ethanol and phycocyanin exhibited a counteractive effect against ethanol toxicity. Conclusion: The results showed that supplementation of phycocyanin prevented oxidative and testicular morphological damage-induced by ethanol and maintained normal sperm production, and viability.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

The authors express their sincere thanks to Professor Youssef Krichen, CEO of Bio Algae Tunisia, for the free supply of phycocyanin, and to Dr Sihem Ben Hassine for her technical assistance.

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