Zahra Keshtmand; Shahrbanoo Oryan; Ali Ghanbari & Mozafar Khazaei

Summary

Cisplatin is an anti-cancer drug used in chemotherapy. One of the limiting side effects of cisplatin is decreasing genital gland function, azoospermia and oligospermia. Tribulus terrestris has been used as an aphrodisiac. The present study amid to investigate protective effect of Tribulus terrestris hydroalcoholic extract against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity on sperm parameters in mice. Male adult mice (n=30) were divided into control and 4 experimental groups (n=6). Control group received saline, first experimental group received cisplatin (5.5 mg/kg) and other three experimental groups received cisplatin (5.5 mg/kg) and different doses of hydroalcoholic extact of Tribulus terrestris (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg/i.p) respectively. On the day after the last injection, blood samples were collected for serum Nitric oxide (NO) assay. Also weights of body and testis, sperm parameters and seminiferous tubules diameter were assessed. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukeys' test. The results showed that cisplatin lead to a reduction in the weight of body and testes, sperm parameters and increased level serum of NO significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05), while in treated groups with Tribulus terrestris, the weights of body and testes, sperm parameters, seminiferous tubules diameter were significantly higher compared with cisplatin group (P<0.05), but serum level of NO did not show significant differences. The study demonstrates that extract of Tribulus terrestris could protective effect against cisplatin- induced cytotoxicity on sperm parameters that may be related to the presence of antioxidant components acting via a multitude of central and peripheral mechanisms.

KEY WORDS: Cisplatin; Tribulus terrestris; Sperm parameters; Mice.

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