The present study was designed to evaluate the testicular toxicity of triazophos in rats and to check the ameliorative effect of nano-quercetin against triazophos-induced toxicity. Nano-quercetin was synthesized from quercetin and characterized. Male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups. The control group received olive oil as a vehicle orally. The high-dose triazophos group and the low-dose triazophos group received 1/10th LD50 of triazophos (7.6 mg/kg) and 1/20th LD50 of triazophos (3.8 mg/kg), respectively. Two groups of animals were dosed with quercetin and nano-quercetin, both at 50 mg/kg body weight orally. The final two groups received high-dose triazophos with co-administration of quercetin and nano-quercetin, respectively. Triazophos disrupted the male endocrine axis by reducing the levels of steroidogenic enzymes 3-β-HSD and 17-β-HSD in testicular cells, further reducing FSH and testosterone. Also, triazophos increased the reactive oxygen species, induced lipid peroxidation, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevated the number of apoptotic cells in rat testes. Nano-quercetin ameliorated the testicular oxidative stress and apoptotic and endocrine parameters more efficiently than quercetin. Besides, nano-quercetin alleviated the histopathological and biochemical alterations of triazophos. It is concluded that nano-quercetin has higher anti-oxidant efficacy than quercetin in protecting rats against triazophos-induced testicular toxicity.
Keywords: Nano-quercetin; Oxidative stress; Quercetin; Testicular toxicity; Testosterone; Triazophos.
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