Masoumeh Fani - Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Alireza Ebrahimzadeh-bideskan - Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Microanatomy Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Abbas Mohammadipour - Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Microanatomy Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background: Atrazine as an herbicide is widely used in the world. It passes through the placenta and probably affects the spermatogenesis and induces apoptosis in testis. In other hand, Crocin as an antioxidant may play critical role to protect the atrazine-induced damage. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of atrazine in Balb/C mouse offspring testis apoptosis and protective effect of Crocin on atrazine-induced apoptosis.Methods: A number of 24 pregnant Balb/C mice were randomly divided in to 4 groups: 1- Atrazine: the mice were received 10mg/kg Atrazine, 2- Atrazine- Crocin; were received 10mg/kg Atrazine and 10mg/kg crocin, 3- Crocin; were 10mg/kg crocin and 4- sham-control: were received normal saline. All the administrations were done via gavage from 6th day of pregnancy until to postnatal day 23. At the end, two male pups from each mother at 23 and 75 postnatal days were randomly selected, sacrificed and removed their testis for TUNEL staining. Finally, TUNEL positive cells were evaluated using stereological method and compared in all groups.Result: In atrazine group, the mean number of spermatogenic apoptotic cells were increased in 23 day-old pups significantly (p Conclusion: Maternal atrazine exposure during pregnancy and lactation may induce apoptosis in Balb/C mouse offspring spermatogenic cells.

Apoptosis, Crocin, Spermatogenic cells, Atrazine