Antioxidant Potential of Spirulina platensis Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Reprotoxicity Induced by Sodium Arsenite in Male Rats

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016:2016:7174351. doi: 10.1155/2016/7174351. Epub 2016 Jan 13.

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the protective role of Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) against arsenic-induced testicular oxidative damage in rats. Arsenic (in the form of NaAsO2 at a dose of 6.3 mg/kg body weight for 8 weeks) caused a significant accumulation of arsenic in testicular tissues as well as a decrease in the levels of testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione, and zinc. Moreover, it significantly decreased plasma testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels and reduced sperm motility and sperm count. Arsenic (AS) led to a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), and sperm abnormalities. S. platensis at a dose of 300 mg/kg was found to attenuate As-induced oxidative stress, testicular damage, and sperm abnormalities by its potent antioxidant activity. S. platensis may represent a potential therapeutic option to protect the testicular tissue from arsenic intoxication.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants / chemistry*
  • Arsenic / adverse effects
  • Arsenites / adverse effects*
  • Catalase / metabolism
  • Glutathione / metabolism
  • Luteinizing Hormone / blood
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • Nitric Oxide / metabolism
  • Organ Size
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sodium Compounds / adverse effects*
  • Sperm Motility
  • Spermatozoa / abnormalities
  • Spirulina*
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Testis / drug effects
  • Testosterone / blood
  • Thyroxine / blood
  • Triiodothyronine / blood
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Zinc / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Arsenites
  • Sodium Compounds
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Triiodothyronine
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Testosterone
  • sodium arsenite
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Luteinizing Hormone
  • Catalase
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • Glutathione
  • Zinc
  • Arsenic
  • Thyroxine