Protective Effect of Vitamin E against Polyvinyl Chloride Induced Damages and Oxidative Stress in Rat Testicular Tissue

Introduction: Numerous studies suggest that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has adverse effects on male sexual function and testicular tissue. Vitamin E (Vit E) is a dietary compound with antioxidant scavenging function for toxic free radicals.

Methods: In this experimental study, 36 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=6) including control, Vit E (150 mg/kg/bw/day), PVC (200 mg/kg/bw/day), PVC (1000 mg/kg/bw/day), PVC (200 mg/kg/bw/day) + Vit E (150 mg/kg/bw/day), PVC (1000 mg/kg/bw/day) + Vit E (150 mg/kg/bw/day). The administration route was oral and experiment lasted 40 days. Each rat was weighed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Left testis was transferred to 10% formalin. The right testis was transferred to -70 ◦C for determining oxidative stress markers. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using Tukey test.

Results: Oral administration of PVC significantly decreased body and testes weights in the male rats. Furthermore, PVC significantly reduced height of germinal epithelium, diameter of seminiferous tubules, number of Leydig cells as well as catalase and total antioxidant capacity levels (p<0/05). However, Vit E minimized PVC-induced testicular toxicities.

Conclusion: Exposure to PVC can cause testicular damage, while Vit E, as an antioxidant, may reduce destructive effects of PVC in rat testis.