Daniel Conei; Mariana Rojas; Luis Santamaría & Jennie Risopatrón

Epilepsy is the chronic non-communicable disease of the nervous system most prevalent in the world. Valproic acid (VPA) is one of the most used drugs in the treatment of epilepsy but with various side effects. One of the organs that can be affected is the testis, where it has been seen that men treated with VPA reduce their fertility rates, in addition to causing endocrine disorders by decreasing androgens and gonadotropins. In animal models, it has been shown to reduce the weights of the glands attached to the male reproductive tract, as well as at the testicular level, decreasing sperm concentration and increasing apoptotic cell count. These effects are because VPA increases reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing damage to macromolecules and affecting all cellular processes sensitive to oxide reduction. Throughout testicular development, in utero, it has been seen that the expression of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, are lower during early embryonic development, as well as vitamin E (VE) is decreased. Therefore, they are not sufficient to reverse the toxic effects of ROS. The objective of this study was to review the use of VPA during pregnancy, its effect on testicular development, and to explore the potential protective role of vitamin E.

KEY WORDS: Epilepsy; Pregnancy; Valproic acid; Vitamin E; Testicular development.

CONEI, D.; ROJAS, M.; SANTAMARÍA, L. & RISOPATRÓN, J. Teratogenicity of valproic acid: Can reverse its possible effects on testicular development with vitamin E?. Int. J. Morphol., 42(4):1111-1118, 2024.