Absract
Carbendazim (methyl-2-benzimidazole carbamate), a metabolite of benomyl, is one of the most widespread environmental contaminants of major concern to human and animal reproductive health. The present investigation was undertaken to study the possible protective effect of linseed oil on carbendazim induced testicular toxicity. Adult albino male rats of the Sprague Dawley strain were administered with carbendazim (100 mg/(kg /day orally) . The control animals received vehicle (corn oil) alone. Also, four other groups of rats were treated by vitamin E (Vit E) (200mg/kg /day orally), carbendazim + Vit E, linseed oil (1.5 g/kg/day, orally), or carbendazim + linseed oil. All the treatments were continued for 48 days. After the treatment period, animals were euthanized, blood samples were taken, prostate and seminal vesicles were removed and weighed. Testes were also quickly removed, encapsulated and utilized for the estimation of the following parameters: sperm count, motility, viability, and abnormalities. Malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase anti oxidant biomarkers activities were estimated in the testes homogenate. Activities of testicular acetylcholine esterase and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes as well as serum testosterone levels were also determined.
The obtained results explored that linseed oil possesses significant protective potential against carbendazim testicular toxic effects. It normalized the weight reductions induced in prostate, seminal vesicles and testes, and protected against the decrease in sperm count, motility and viability as well as, the increase in sperm abnormalities. In addition linseed oil restored the antioxidant activities (reduced the malondialdehyde level, increased the reduced glutathione, superoxid dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels) that were harmfully affected by carbendazim. Moreover, linseed oil daily oral feeding antagonized the produced significant changes in acetylcholine esterase and lactate dehydrogenase enzymes, and restored the serum level of testosterone.
The linseed oil proposed protective effect(s) as illustrated in the present work, may be due to its antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory potentials.
Keywords: carbendazim, testicular dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, Vit. E, linseed oil.