目的:尽管电离辐射治疗癌症有效,它会损害附近的健康组织。由于睾丸组织的高放射敏感性,放射治疗可能会影响精子发生,这可能会导致不孕。因此,在这项研究中,睾丸损伤模型是为了研究玛卡根粉的缓解作用及其通过氧化和内质网(ER)应激的潜在辐射防护活性,除了凋亡途径。
方法:雄性白化病大鼠暴露于6Gy的全身γ辐射单剂量。玛卡根粉(1g/kgb.wt./天,通过口服灌胃)在照射前一周给药,然后是d-半乳糖(300mg/kg,通过口服管饲法)和玛卡每天连续一周。
结果:γ射线和d-半乳糖显示血清睾酮显著降低,精子计数,精子头部异常的活力和更高的百分比,而玛卡根处理保持了所有精子形态参数。玛卡根处理显示出对辐射诱导的氧化应激和改善丙二醛(MDA)的显着防御,活性氧(ROS),一氧化氮(NO),谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(GST)水平,还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH),睾丸组织中的氧化型谷胱甘肽(GSSG)和GSH/GSSG比值。暴露于伽马射线和d-半乳糖显示GRP78,CHOP,总caspase-3以及活性(切割)caspase-3水平,而用Maca治疗可显着降低ER和凋亡标志物水平。此外,玛卡改善了辐照引起的杂乱无章的生精小管的组织学变化。
结论:我们的发现首次表明,玛卡对放疗引起的男性生殖损伤具有保护作用。玛卡根通过GRP78/CHOP/caspase-3途径显示抗凋亡作用和对睾丸损伤的保护作用。
OBJECTIVE: Despite the effectiveness of ionizing radiation in treating cancer, it can damage healthy tissues in the vicinity. Due to the high radio-sensitivity of testicular tissues, radiation therapy may affect spermatogenesis, which may result in infertility. Hence, in this study testicular damage model is constructed to investigate the mitigation effect of Maca root powder and its potential radioprotective activity through both oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stresses, besides the apoptotic pathway.
METHODS: Male albino rats were exposed to 6Gy of whole-body gamma radiation single dose. Maca root powder (1 g/kg b.wt./day, by oral gavage) was administered for a week before irradiation, then d-galactose (300 mg/kg, by oral gavage) and Maca daily for another week.
RESULTS: Gamma radiation and d-galactose revealed a significant decrease in serum testosterone, sperm count, and motility and higher percentage of the sperm head abnormality, while Maca root treatment maintained all sperm morphology parameters. Maca root treatment demonstrated a notable defense against radiation-induced oxidative stress and ameliorated malonaldehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) levels, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and the ratio of GSH/GSSG in testis tissues. Exposure to gamma rays and d-galactose displayed a significant elevation in GRP78, CHOP, total caspase-3 as well as active (cleaved) caspase-3 levels, whereas treatment with Maca significantly reduced the ER and apoptotic markers levels. Also, Maca improved the histological changes of the disorganized seminiferous tubules induced by irradiation.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show for the first time that Maca has a protective effect on male reproductive damage induced by radiotherapy. Maca root reveals anti-apoptotic effect and protection against testicular damage via GRP78/CHOP/caspase-3 pathway.