Protective effect of aqueous extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum root on atrazine-induced male reproductive disorders in rats.

The current study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum (AP) root on reproductive system disorders induced by atrazine (ATZ) in male rats. Male Wister albino rats were divided into 5 groups: control, corn oil, AP root aqueous extract (150 mg/kg bw), ATZ (200 mg /kg bw) and AP plus ATZ groups. Obtained results indicated that administration of ATZ to male rats produced significant decreases in the body weight gain, relative testis and epididymis weights and sperm count as well as serum concentrations of dihydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone (T), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and testicular levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), gamma glutamyl transferase (?-GT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) besides serum and testis total proteins (TP). On contrary, rats administered ATZ showed significant increases in the serum levels of ALP, ACP, ?-GT, low density lipoproteins-cholesterol (LDL-C) and serum and testis levels of total lipids (TL), total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG) and phospholipids (PL) and testicular contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyl (PC), percent of apoptotic cells and p53. However, treatment of ATZ-exposed male rats with water extract of AP roots ameliorated the reproductive adverse effects induced by ATZ in the tested parameters and returned most of them to almost the control levels. In conclusion, the present findings provided evidence that the aqueous extract of AP root can be used effectively in the protection against male sexual disorders resulted from herbicide ATZ exposure, mainly due to their bioactive constituents that are able to reduce oxidative stress and apoptosis, enhance the antioxidant status and improve the testicular function.