Radiation-induced Testicular Injury and Its Amelioration by Telfairia occidentalis

Aims: The radioprotective effect of Telfairia occidentalis aqueous extract (TOE) against gamma irradiation induced oxidative damage and altered sperm parameters in rats.
Study Design: Randomized controlled experiment
Place and Duration of Study: Experimental Animal Unit and Department of Anatomy, University of Ibadan between January and April, 2012.
Methodology: Male Wistar strain rats were divided into six groups and pretreated with TOE (400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg of b.wt.) and vitamin E (VE) 50 mg/kg of b.wt prior to whole body gamma irradiation exposure of 2Gy. Sections of the testes were taken for the assessments of biochemical markers of oxidative stress: Lipid peroxidation (LPO), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione (GSH) and histopathological variations.
Results: Exposure of animals to 2Gy gamma radiation resulted in decreased sperm characteristics and increased sperm morphological abnormalities; significant elevation in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and hydrogen peroxides, and decreased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-s-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in testes; distorted architecture of seminiferous tubules from day 1 to 30 post-irradiation. The rats pretreated with TOE showed normal sperm parameters, normal testicular histo-architecture and normal antioxidant enzymatic activities.
Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Telfairia occidentalis has radioprotective activities.