Stress is defined as physical and/or psychological modifications that disrupt homeostasis in living organisms. The stimuli that confront homeostasis are determined as stressors; these external factors may be physical, chemical, psychological, and environmental. The results of some studies have shown that ascorbic acid is related to fertility and has an evolutionary significant role as an essential nutrient for humans and other animal species. Selenium is the most important mineral element in protecting health and growth and performing various biochemical and physiological functions. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the protective effects of vitamin C and selenium against restraint stress levels that caused a decrease in sperm quality in rats. This study was conducted on40 adult male Wistar rats that were randomly divided into 4equal groups (n=10 each). The first group (vitamin C group)was exposed to restraint stress for 6 h a day and supplemented with vitamin C (50 mg/kg bw/day) orally by gavage; the second group (Se group)was exposed to restraint stress for 6 h a day and supplemented with selenium (0.02 µg /kg bw/day) orally by gavage; the third group (negative control[NC] group)was exposed to restraint stress for 6 h a day and given normal saline (2 ml)orally by gavage; the fourth group (positive control [PC] group)was not exposed to restraint stress and given normal saline (2 ml)orally by gavage. The results showed that all the sperm parameters, such as total and progressive motility, and sperm viability increased significantly (P≤0.05) in vitamin C and Se groups, compared to the NC group. The rate of acrosome defects in vitamin C, Se, and PC groups was significantly reduced (P≤0.05), compared to the NC group. Moreover, the findings showed no significant differences among all the four groups. The results of the current study confirmed the ameliorated effect of vitamin C and selenium on semen quality and sperm parameters, such as motility, viability, morphology, and concentration, against the adverse effect of stress. |
- Choudhury J. Life Stress, Self-esteem and Mental Health of Women. Inter J Bus Manag Inven. 2020;9(2):18-21.
- Fink G. Stress: Concepts, Cognition, Emotion, and Behavior: Handbook of Stress Series, Volume 1: Academic Press; 2016.
- Huzard D, Rappeneau V, Meijer OC, Touma C, Arango-Lievano M, Garabedian MJ, et al. Experience and activity-dependent control of glucocorticoid receptors during the stress response in large-scale brain networks. Stress. 2021;24(2):130-53.
- Heck AL, Handa RJ. Sex differences in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis’ response to stress: an important role for gonadal hormones. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2019;44(1):45-58.
- Joseph DN, Whirledge S. Stress and the HPA axis: balancing homeostasis and fertility. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(10):2224.
- Rooney KL, Domar AD. The impact of stress on fertility treatment. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2016;28(3):198-201.
- Henkel R, Sandhu IS, Agarwal A. The excessive use of antioxidant therapy: a possible cause of male infertility? Andrologia. 2019;51(1):e13162.
- Kilinc M, Kastal C, Okur E, Yildirim I. Evaluation of Serum Selenium and Erythrocyte Glutathione Peroxidase Levels in Patients with Recurrent Tonsillitis. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(1):188-91.
- Hsieh T-C, Shin P. Nutritional pathways to protect male reproductive health. Male infertility: Springer; 2012. p. 363-7.
- Morbat MM, Hadi AM, Hadri DH. Effect of selenium in treatment of male infertility. Exp Tech Urol Nephrol. 2018;1(5):1-4.
- Rahayu I, Usman E, Reza M. Effect of vitamin C on testosterone level, sperm count and sperm morphology in gentamicin-induced Wistar rats. Int J Res Med Sci. 2019;7:451.
- Cheng JW, Ko EY. Causes of Reductive Stress in Male Reproduction. Oxidants, antioxidants and impact of the oxidative status in male reproduction: Elsevier; 2019. p. 55-64.
- Vijayprasad S, Ghongane B, Nayak B. Effect of vitamin C on male fertility in rats subjected to forced swimming stress. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(7):HC05.
- Subamalani S, Sasikumar A, Vijayaragavan R, Senthilkumar S, Kumar SM, Raj L, et al. Effect of Acorus calamus Linn on histomorphometric changes in the CA1 and CA3 regions of Hippocampus in Wistar Albino rats. Res J Pharm Technol. 2019;12(7):3531-6.
- Ngaha Njila MI, Massoma Lembè D, Koloko BL, Yong Meng G, Ebrahimi M, Awad EA, et al. Sperm parameters quality and reproductive effects of methanolic extract of Alchornea cordifolia leaves on senescent male rats. Andrologia. 2019;51(9):e13359.
- Bustani GS, Baiee FH. Semen extenders: An evaluative overview of preservative mechanisms of semen and semen extenders. Vet World. 2021;14(5):1220.
- Yokoi K, Uthus EO, Nielsen FH. Nickel deficiency diminishes sperm quantity and movement in rats. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2003;93(1):141-53.
- Murcia-Robayo RY, Jouanisson E, Beauchamp G, Diaw M. Effects of staining method and clinician experience on the evaluation of stallion sperm morphology. Anim Reprod Sci. 2018;188:165-9.
- Baiee F, Al-Wahab BA, Almusawi AA, Yu LL, Fitri W-N, Bustani GS. Effect of vitrification on spermatozoa quality in bull semen. Eurasia J Biosci. 2020;14(2):3897-904.
- Nowicka-Bauer K, Nixon B. Molecular changes
induced by oxidative stress that impair human sperm motility. Antioxidants. 2020;9(2):134.
- Al-Hasan B, Alhatami A, Abdulwahab H, Bustani G, Alkuwaity E, editors. The first isolation and detection of Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale from swollen head syndrome-infected broiler flocks in Iraq, Veterinary World, 14 (9): 2346-23552021: Abstract.
- Choudhury FK, Rivero RM, Blumwald E, Mittler R. Reactive oxygen species, abiotic stress and stress combination. Plant J. 2017;90(5):856-67.
- Lodhi GM, Latif R, Hussain MM, Naveed AK, Aslam M. Effect of ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol supplementation on acute restraint stress induced changes in testosterone, corticosterone and nor epinephrine levels in male Sprague Dawley rats. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. 2014;26(1):7-11.
- Lukusa K, Lehloenya K. Selenium supplementation improves testicular characteristics and semen quality of Saanen bucks. Small Rumin Res. 2017;151:52-8.
- Dohle G, Smit M, Weber R. Androgens and male fertility. World J Urol. 2003;21(5):341-5.
- AL-Mudhafar MA, Al-Fatlawy MAT, AL-Medhtiy MH, Alsharifi N, Bustani GS. Calcium administration to improve parturition in dairy cows. Med Legal Update. 2020;20(4):885-9.
- Al-Dhalimy AMB, Aldhalemi AA, Aldhalemi MA, Bustani GS. Study of the Deficiency of Some Elements and Some Vital Variables in Camel’s Blood. Plant Arch. 2020;20(2):8945-9.
- Al-amery AK, Al-Fahham AA. The Synergistic Effect of Ascorbic Acid and Selenium on Serum Testosterone in Restraint Stressed Rats. Indian J Forensic Med Toxicol. 2020;14(4):991.
- Aly HA, Hassan MH, El-Beshbishy HA, Alahdal AM, Osman A-MM. Dibutyl phthalate induces oxidative stress and impairs spermatogenesis in adult rats. Toxicol Ind Health. 2016;32(8):1467-77.
- Reddy MM, Mahipal SV, Subhashini J, Reddy MC, Roy KR, Reddy GV, et al. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced oxidative stress in the impairment of steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis in rats. Reprod Toxicol. 2006;22(3):493-500.
- Alahmar AT. Effect of vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and coenzyme Q10 in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia. Int J Infertil Fetal Med. 2017;8(2):45-9.
|