Protective effect of zinc on oxidative injury of testis induced by chronic alcohol exposure in rats

ObjectiveTo study testicular structural and functional disturbance induced by chronic alcohol exposure in rats and the protective effect of zinc against the injury.MethodsThirty healthy Sprague-Dawley adult male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, alcohol (7.5g/kg) and alcohol (7.5g/kg)+zinc gluconate (7.7mg/kg).Alcohol and zinc gluconate were administmted to the rats for 13 weeks by gastric tube Speun counting, motility and the percent of abnounal speun were observed Semm sexual hounones(T) were deteun fined The pathological changes of testicle tissue were observed by light and electron microscopy The malonaldehyde (MDA)content of testicular mitochondrial was sinultaneously deteunined.The expression of NOS in testis was detected by inmunohistochemistry and western blot.ResultsCompared with the control group, the speun counting and motility of the alcohol group were decreased (P<0.05);the frequency of abnounal speun was increased(P<0.05);and the seaun T level significantly decreased (P<0.05).The MDA content and the expression of NOS were markedly higher than that of control(P<0.05).Histological evaluation of testis revealed that seminiferous epithelium was disorganized and that sertoli cells and geun cells were degenerated in alcohol-treated rats Zinc supplementation decreased the testicularm itochondrial MDA founation and the expression of NOS in testis and the degeneration of geun cells was inproved Speun counting and motilitywere higher than that of alcohol treated group.But the seaun T level declined.ConclusionChronic alcohol intake leads to speun atogenesis and steroidogenesis inhibition in testis of rats Zinc supplementation inhibits the testicularperoxidation injury.