Insight to Testiculoprotective Effect of Royal Jelly in Experimentally-Induced Scrotal Heat Stress in Rats

Background: Testicular heat stress (HS) even for a single shortperiod can induce destruction in testicular tissue and spermatogenesisdisturbances. Royal jelly (RJ) has several pharmacologicalactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor,antimicrobial and immune-modulatory functions. Thecurrent study aimed to elucidate the protective effects of RJ onHS-induced testicular damages in rats.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, ۴۸ healthyWistar male rats were randomly divided into ۸ groups (n=۶);Group ۱ received normal saline, group ۲ received RJ (۱۰۰ mg/kg/day; PO), groups ۳, ۴ and ۵ were heat-stressed (۴۳, ۳۹ and۳۷ ◦C for ۲۰ min/day, respectively) and groups ۶, ۷ and ۸ wereheat-stressed receiving RJ (۴۳, ۳۹ and ۳۷ ◦C for ۲۰ min/day,respectively plus RJ at a dose of ۱۰۰ mg/kg/day; PO). TheHS was induced through immersion of rats scrotums in a waterbath. At the end of ۴۸ days, immunohistochemical (PCNAand TUNEL) examinations, histopathological analyses andoxidant/antioxidant status evaluation as well as p۵۳, bcl-۲ andcaspase-۳ mRNA expressions determination in testicular tissuewere carried out.Results: Co-administration of RJ remarkably restored HSevokedhistopathological alterations in rats testicular tissue.Following RJ co-treatment, tissue malondialdehyde (MDA)level was decreased; while tissue total antioxidant capacityand catalase levels were significantly increased compared toHS-exposed groups. Moreover, HS induced significant downregulationof bcl-۲ and up-regulation of p۵۳ and caspase-۳ ina temperature-dependent manner versus control group. However,RJ co-treatment led to notable diminishing of p۵۳ andcaspase-۳ expressions and bcl-۲ expression increase. The HSresulted in significant testicular germ cells apoptosis elevationsin a temperature-dependent manner and reduced PCNAexpression in spermatogenic cells. Interestingly, RJ improvedHS-induced above-mentioned changes through TUNEL positiveindex reduction and PCNA index increase.Conclusion: Our data suggest that RJ can effectively ameliorateexperimental HS-induced testiculopathies in rats throughtesticular antioxidant defense system restoration and germ cellsapoptosis regulation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Heat Stress ، Royal Jelly ، Oxidative Stress ، Testis ، Apoptosis