This present study was designed to investigate ameliorating potential of thymol (THY) on hexachlorobenzene (HBC)-induced epididymal and testicular toxicities in adult male rats. Forty adult male rats were orally treated by gavage daily for 28 consecutive days and divided into four groups; control group administered with corn oil, HBC-treated group (16 mg/kg b. wt), thymol-treated group (30 mg/kg b. wt), and HBC + THY-treated group. The results revealed that HBC exposure caused a significant decrease in the body weight change, organ weights, sperm functional parameters, serum testosterone level with widespread histological abnormalities. Furthermore, HBC-treated rats showed increased in the serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), epididymal and testicular myeloperoxidase activity, tumor necrosis-α, interleukin-1β level and caspase-3 activity, induced oxidative damage as evidenced by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (RONS) levels and significant reduction in antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced glutathione (GSH). However, co-treatment of THY with HBC alleviated the HBC-induced epididymal and testicular toxicities. Our findings revealed that HBC acts as a reproductive toxicant in rats and thymol could be a potential remedial agent for HBC-induced reproductive toxicity.
Keywords: hexachlorobenzene; oxidative damage; rats; testicular toxicity; thymol.