RESUMO
Tetrachloroethane [TTCE] a widely used industrial solvent causes damage to different organs via its free radicals production. The aim of this study was to detect the possible role of alpha-lipoic acid, being a natural antioxidant, against the TTCE-induced testicular and chromosomal toxicity in mice. Eighty male mice were classified into eight equal groups. Groups I, II and III were considered as control groups. Mice of Groups IV and V received alp ha-lipoic acid and TTCE respectively orally for 15 consecutive days. Mice of Groups VI, VII and VIII received three regimens of alph a-lipoic acid and tetrachloroethane [pre-, co-and post-tetrachloroethane,] at the same dose, route and duration for each. Three days following the last dose, half number of animals of all experimental groups was injected with cholchicine intraperitonealy to arrest the cell division. Two hours later, they were sacrificed for testicular histological examination and preparation of somatic and germ celI chromosomes. The other half number of the animals was sacrificed 35 days after the last dose of tested materials for sperm smear preparation. TTCE resulted in variable degrees of degenerative changes of time cells lining somniferous tubules, partial or complete absence of spermatids and mature sperms together with an increase in the mean value of sperm abnormalities. It also caused significant increase in the frequency of total chromosomal aberrations in both somatic and germ cells. Administration of alpha-lipoic acid in different manners resulted in a noticeable improvement of the degenerative testicular and chromosomal effects induced by TTCE. In conclusion, alpha-lipoic acid has an ameliorating role against TTCE-induced toxicity of testis and chromosomes