Impact of platelet-rich plasma versus selenium in ameliorating induced toxicity in rat testis: histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular study

Abstract

This study was conducted on forty adult rats divided into four groups: Group I (control) that is divided into subgroups A, B, and C and Group II (methotrexate (MTX)-treated); the rats were injected intraperitoneally with MTX at a dose of 1 mg/kg/week, for 8 weeks. Group III (MTX-Se co-treated) was injected with MTX like Group II plus an oral administration of selenium at a dose of 10 μg/kg b.w/day, for 8 weeks. Group IV (MTX-PRP co-treated), rats were injected intraperitoneally with MTX like Group II plus platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection under the scrotum, three times with 2-week intervals (volume-0.1 ml per injection) and euthanized after 8 weeks. Histological, immunohistochemical, and genetic expression using qPCR and western blotting technique were conducted. There was improvement in histological structure of testes in most specimens of Group IV. The latter group revealed a significant decrease in Bax and an increase in Bcl-2. The regeneration of testicular tissue was more observed in Group IV as measured by an increase in mean number of PCNA. Moreover, Group IV revealed an increased genetic level of FSCN3, GCNF, UBQLN3, and DAZL. Both MTX-Se and MTX-PRP have an anti-inflammatory effect as measured by a reduction in NF-κb. The anti-oxidative effect of selenium and PRP was noticed by a decrease in the level of the iNos and an increase in eNos protein and the autophagy marker LC3. PRP has ameliorative effects on induced rat testicular toxicity as evaluated by morphological changes and confirmed by immunohistochemical reactions, genetic expression, and western blotting analyses including oxidative and anti- oxidative markers.

Keywords: Methotrexate; Platelet-rich plasma; QPCR; Selenium; Testis; Western blot.