Protective Role of Some Natural Products on Phthalate-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Offspring Mice

Document Type : Original articles

Authors

1 Zoology Department, Damietta Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Egypt

2 Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Sebha University, Libya

Abstract

Phthalates are wide spread environmental contaminants found in many household and consumer products. Many household products release phthalates that may pose unique challenges to human health, especially women and their children's. Phthalates have greater potential toxicity to mammals in general, reproductive and developmental toxicity in particular. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of some natural products (honeybee & vitamin C) on testes development of offspring males. Gavage administration of 500mg Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalates (DEHP) kg-1 day-1 to nursing mice form the 1st to 21st day after delivery induced massive alterations (degeneration and necrosis of some germ cells, in addition to absence of sperms) in the testes of their lactating offspring males. Ultrastructural examination of the 8th week old offspring testes revealed karyolysis of germ cells, abnormal Leydig cells having few lipid droplets, deformed Sertoli cells being detached from the thick and irregular basal lamina and abnormal spermatids. The concomitant administration of honeybee (10%) in drinking water or injection with 200 mg vitamin C kg-1 day-1 led to amelioration of these pathological alterations and enhanced development of the testes. The obtained data demonstrated a protective action of honeybee & vitamin C against the effects of DEHP on testes development of offspring males. The effects of these natural products might be attributed to the anti-oxidative effect of vitamin C and honey.

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics