α-Tocopherol Prevents Sperm Apoptosis and Necrosis in Rats Exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Dewa Ketut Meles; Kadek Rachmawati; Iwan Sahrial Hamid; Imam Mustofa; Wurlina Wurlina; Niluh Suwasanti; Desak Ketut Sekar Cempaka Putri; Suzanita Utama

doi:10.1155/2022/3685686

α-Tocopherol Prevents Sperm Apoptosis and Necrosis in Rats Exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Vet Med Int. 2022 Feb 21:2022:3685686. doi: 10.1155/2022/3685686. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Dewa Ketut Meles¹, Kadek Rachmawati¹, Iwan Sahrial Hamid¹, Imam Mustofa², Wurlina Wurlina², Niluh Suwasanti³, Desak Ketut Sekar Cempaka Putri⁴, Suzanita Utama²

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Kampus C Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.
² Division of Veterinary Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Airlangga University, Kampus C Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.
³ Department of Clinical Pathology, Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, Jl. Kalisari Selatan No. 1, Kalisari, Kec. Mulyorejo, Surabaya 60112, Indonesia.
⁴ Division of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University, Jl. Mayjen Prof. Dr. Moestopo No. 47, Surabay 60132, Indonesia.

Abstract

2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a persistent organic pollutant that induces overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Studies on avoiding the adverse effects of dioxin pollution exposure are needed in all aspects, including reproductive health. This study aimed to determine the effect of α-tocopherol on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, live spermatozoa, apoptosis, and necrosis in male rats exposed to dioxin as a model. Thirty healthy 12-week-old male rats were randomly divided into five groups. Rats in the control group were given corn oil twice daily at 4-hour intervals. The remaining rats were given TCDD 700 mg/kg BW daily, followed by administration of corn oil and α-tocopherol at doses of 77, 140, and 259 mg/kg BW/d for T0, T1, T2, and T3 groups, respectively. The treatments were conducted for 45 days; all rats were euthanized to collect blood and testicular samples on day 46. The results showed that exposure of TCDD resulted in a decrease in SOD activity and live spermatozoa and increased MDA level and death, apoptosis, and necrosis of spermatozoa (T0) compared to the control (C) group (p < 0.05). The administration of α-tocopherol, starting from the doses of 77 (T1), 149 (T2), and 259 mg (T3) per kg BW, was sequentially followed by returning MDA levels, recovering SOD activities, and restoration in the percentage of living, dead, apoptotic, and necrotic spermatozoa, similar (p > 0.05) to those of the control group. It could be concluded that the administration of α-tocopherol resolves the harmful effects of TCDD on the viability of spermatozoa in rats as a model.