Roghayeh Javan; Ayoob Rostamzadeh; Mohammad-Shafi Mojadadi; Kosar Hosseinpur; Davood Nasiry & Amir Raoofi
This study was aimed to evaluate the radioprotective effects of Silymarin (SIL) and zinc alone, and in combination with each other against irradiation (IR) testicular toxicity in mice. Sixty-four male adult NMRI mice were allocated into eight groups, including the control group; SIL treated group; zinc treated group; SIL+Zinc treated group; IR group which irradiated with 2 Gy gamma rays; IR+SIL group; IR+Zinc group; and IR+SIL+Zinc group. Treatments commenced for eight consecutive days and then mice were exposed to IR. One day after irradiation, four animals of each group were sampled and both testes were harvested for determination of the biochemical (MDA, GSH, SOD, and CAT) and molecular (Caspase-3, P21, TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κβ) parameters. Fourteen days after the irradiation, four other animals in each group were harvested to assessments of histological, stereological, and sperm parameters as well as the testosterone levels. We found that the sperm parameters, testosterone levels, the numerical density of spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, spermatids, sertoli, leydig cells, and seminiferous tubules, and biochemical factors (except MDA) were significantly higher in the IR+SIL, IR+Zinc, and IR+SIL+Zinc groups, especially in IR+SIL+Zinc ones, compared to IR group. This is while expression of apoptotic and inflammatory genes, and MDA levels considerably decreased in the IR+SIL, IR+Zinc, and IR+SIL+Zinc groups compared to IR group and it was more pronounced in the IR+SIL+Zinc ones. Generally, SIL and zinc attenuated cellular and molecular disorders induced by gamma-radiation in the testis and these protective effects were more pronounced in the combined treatment group.
KEY WORDS: Radiation; Silymarin; Zinc; Oxidative Stress; Radioprotective; Testicular Toxicity.
JAVAN, R.; ROSTAMZADEH, A.; MOJADADI, M.S.; HOSSEINPUR, K.; NASIRY, D. & RAOOFI, A. Ameliorating effects of Silymarin in combination with zinc against radiation. Int. J. Morphol., 43(3):1070-1081, 2025.
