Thymoquinone ameliorates bleomycin-induced reproductive toxicity in male Balb/c mice.

Bleomycin (BL) is a powerful chemotherapy drug that has devastating effects on spermatogenic function and may make cancer survivors at risk of infertility. Protective effects of thymoquinone (TQ), a phytochemical compound with antioxidant and anticancer influences, were investigated on sperm parameters, testicular structures, and sexual hormones in BL-treated mice. Forty-eight adult male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into six groups. Control group received normal saline; BL group received 10 mg/kg BL; TQ7.5 group received 7.5 mg/kg TQ; TQ15 group received 15 mg/kg TQ; BL+TQ7.5 group received 10 mg/kg BL and 7.5 mg/kg TQ; BL + TQ15 group received 10 mg/kg BL and 15 mg/kg TQ. BL was intraperitoneally used every day through 35 days, and TQ was intraperitoneally injected 3 days before administration of BL and continued twice per week for 35 days. Results showed that BL significantly decreased count, viability, morphology, maturity, and progressive movement of sperm, testosterone, seminiferous tubule diameters, the ratio of testis weight to body weight, number of spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and Sertoli cells per tubule, and expression of Bcl2l1 and Bcl2l1/Bax ratio, and increased the non-progressive movement and immotile sperm, intermediate and immature sperm, LH, FSH, and malondialdehyde levels, and tunica albuginea thickness compared to the control group (p < .05). TQ at a level of 7.5 mg/kg ameliorated BL-induced toxicity on measured parameters and returned most of them to the level of the control group. These data suggested TQ in a dose-dependent manner may have positive effects on BL-induced toxicity of the testis in mice model.

Protective Effect of Vitrified-warmed Media with Clove Bud (Syzygium aromaticum) Extract on Mouse Oocytes and Resultant Blastocysts.

BACKGROUND: Although oocyte vitrification has become an essential part of infertility treatments, the formation of reactive oxygen species can reduce the quality of oocytes. OBJECTIVE: Protective effects of vitamin E or clove bud extract in the vitrification and warming media of vitrified mature oocytes were evaluated on blastocysts derived from the warmed oocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oocytes were vitrified-warmed with vitamin E (0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mM) or hydroethanolic extract of clove bud (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 µg/ml) in vitrification and warming media, and resultant blastocysts were evaluated. RESULTS: Mid concentrations of these antioxidants (10 and 20 µg/ml of clove bud extract and 100 and 200 µM of vitamin E) improved the blastocyst formation (P<0.05). The expression of catalase (P<0.01) and superoxide dismutase-1 (Sod1) genes, as well as the inner cell mass number (P<0.05), were significantly less in the blastocyst of the control (untreated) vitrified oocytes, however these levels were restored to normal by clove bud extract. In both antioxidant groups Bcl2l1 gene expression was promoted in comparison to the controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Clove bud extract, with antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, may serve to prevent or reduce oxidative stress condition of oocyte vitrification.

A physiological, rather than a superovulated, post-implantation environment can attenuate the compromising effect of assisted reproductive techniques on gene expression in developing mice embryos.

Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) may perturb the pre-/peri-conception microenvironments, which subsequently threaten the health of offspring. This study aimed to investigate the effects of superovulation, vitrification, in vitro culture, and embryo transfer on the expression of epigenetic modulators, imprinted genes, and pluripotency markers in expanded blastocysts and Day-9.5 (D9.5) concepti. Results revealed that 53.4% (8/15) and 86.7% (13/15) of genes in the fetus and placenta, respectively, have similar patterns of transcription in all D9.5 concepti, despite the perturbed mRNA expression observed at the blastocyst stage for each embryo-production technique. These observations indicate a counterbalancing of the abnormal expression pattern analyzed at the blastocyst stage during post-implantation development, particularly when the uterus of a naturally synchronized foster mother is employed. Superovulation resulted in the most abnormal expression patterns compared to other treatment groups, although these same blastocysts were able to develop in a synchronized uterus. Thus, superovulation creates a hormonal environment that negatively affected gene expression and impairs fetal growth more adversely during post-implantation development than other ART protocols, such as in vitro culture, vitrification, or embryo transfer-although each did contribute negatively to the implantation and development process. Together, these results may have implications for treating infertility in humans.