Abstract:
Diabetes mellitus is a well-recognized cause of male sexual dysfunction and impairments of male fertility.
Streptozotocin (STZ) is used for medical treatment of neoplastic islet -cells of pancreas and producing of
animal model of diabetes mellitus type 1 that is characterized by suppression of reproductive activity due
to the hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in testes. Seeking for
the agents that could alleviate diabetes-induced damage to reproductive system is yet the important area
of inquiry. The present study was designed to evaluate whether hydrated C60 fullerene (C60HyFn), which
is known to be powerful bioantioxidant, eliminate testicular dysfunction induced by STZ-diabetes in rats.
Wistar strain male albino rats were divided into four groups of six animals each: (1) control group, (2)
C60HyFn-treated nondiabetic group, (3) STZ-diabetic group and (4) C60HyFn-treated diabetic group. Once
hyperglycaemia was induced by STZ, rats in the second and fourth groups were treated with C60HyFn (in
the form of drinking water) at the dose of 4 g/kg daily for 5 weeks. In diabetic rats, relative weights of
right cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles, prostate, sperm motility and epididymal sperm concentration
were significantly less than those of control group, but which were restored in the fourth group treated
with C60HyFn (p < 0.001). In hematoxylin and eosin staining, marked histopathological changes including
degeneration, desquamation, disorganisation and reduction in germinal cells, interstitial oedema and
congestion were evident in the testis of diabetic rats, but C60HyFn treatment resulted in recovery of
histopathological changes and an increase in Johnsen’s testicular score significantly (p < 0.001). C60HyFn
treatment restores the increased apoptosis induced by STZ-diabetes. In diabetic rats, levels of serum
testosterone, testicular reduced glutathione (GSH) and alpha-tocopherol were significantly reduced and
testicular lipid peroxidation level was increased (p < 0.001). Nevertheless, treatment of diabetic rats with
C60HyFn resulted in significant corrective effects on these parameters towards the control levels. C60HyFn,
applied alone, did not exert any toxic effects in testicular tissues. Furthermore, C60HyFn treatment in
diabetic and nondiabetic rats resulted in considerable elevations of some important polyunsaturated
fatty acids. In conclusion, we have presented for the first time substantial evidence that administration
of C60HyFn significantly reduces diabetes-induced oxidative stress and associated complications such as
testicular dysfunction and spermatogenic disruption
