Abstract

VITAMIN C PROTECTS SPERMATIC AND TESTICULAR HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES BY ETHANOL IN WISTAR RATS

Iyele Kamenebali, Benedict Inetimi and Jonah Sydney Aprioku*

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Abstract

Alcohol is a known psychoactive compound and its consumption has been associated with several adverse effects, including testicular toxicity. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. We investigated the protective effect of vitamin C against alterations in sperm parameters and testis histology by ethanol in Wistar rats. The rats were divided into five equal groups: group 1, control (given 0.5 ml/kg distilled water), group 2 (given 1 g/kg ethanol, 30%v/v), group 3 (given 2 g/kg ethanol, 30%v/v), group 4 (given vitamin C and 1 g/kg ethanol), and group 5 (given vitamin C and 2 g/kg ethanol). Administrations were done by gastric gavage and lasted for 21 days. Ethanol treatment resulted in reduction of sperm motility (p < 0.001) and count (p < 0.01), while percentage of sperm with abnormal morphology was increased dose-dependently (p < 0.05,p < 0.01) compared to control. Vitamin C treatment inhibited these effects of ethanol, as sperm motility and count were increased, and abnormal morphology was decreased in vitamin C treated groups when compared to those that received only ethanol. Testes of ethanol treated rats showed altered histology, while those of vitamin C + ethanol treated animals showed improved or normal histology. Results indicate that vitamin C is capable of protecting ethanol induced impairments in sperm parameters and testis histology in Wistar rats.

Keywords: Alcohol, Vitamin C, Antioxidant, Sperm parameters, Testicular function.