الفهرس 
ِAcknowledgement
Oxidative stress and testisOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Acrylamide (ACR) is an important industrial chemical, which had been widely used in water treatment, cosmetic formulations and as a chemical reagent in molecular biology research. ACR was found in certain foods that had been subjected to high temperatures. Because individuals can be exposed to ACR in factories, laboratories, or daily life via food and drinking water, the toxicity of ACR had received increasing attention in research.
The present study was planned to evaluate the toxic effect of ACR on the genital organs (testes and epidydmis) and excretory organs (liver and kidney) in male rats. Also, to assess the prophylactic effect of sulfur compounds like garlic oil (GO), thymoquinone (TQ) and amino acid L-cysteine (LC) against ACR toxicity.
The current study was done on 74 rats with an average weight of 120 gm. Rats were divided into 2 main groups, the first represented by 10 rats served as negative control and the second 64 rats was treated with ACR (25 mg/kg b.wt) dissolved in drinking water. The second group was subdivided into four groups each contains 16 rats. The first was left as positive control, the second, third, and fourth were co-treated with GO (50 mg/kg b.wt), TQ (10 mg/kg b.wt), and LC (100 mg/kg b.wt) respectively twice a week by oral administration.
At the end of each week, at days 7, 14, 21, and 28, four rats from each positive and co-treated groups were killed after anesthesia with ether to collect blood samples for plasma separation and organs (testes, epididymis, kidney, liver) for biochemical and histological studies.
The present study demonstrated that ACR able to induce damage as evidenced by histological and biochemical changes. These changes include:
1- Blood urea was significantly increased, however, creatinine was non significantly decreased throughout the period of exposure compared with the negative control group. As well as the activity of AST was increased, but ALT activity was decreased throughout the period of the experiment. Rats treated with GO, TQ and LC showed a marked improvement in the imbalances of liver and kidney functions.
2- Daily exposure of ACR in drinking water for 28 days showed an increase in LPO as expressed by increasing the level of MDA in the testes, kidney, and decreased in liver tissues. Co-treatment with TQ and LC the results in decrease in LPO level in the kidney, and an increase in its level in the liver and testes.
3- An increase of NO level in the testes while decreased in kidney tissues and no change in the liver of rats treated ACR. The role of supplements treatments was clear in the kidney, but it was not noticeable in the liver and testes.
4- Administration of rats with ACR led to a significant decrease in the GSH level in kidney and testes. Co-treatment with GO , TQ and LC showed depletion in GSH level in the tissues of the testes and kidneys as compared with rats treated with ACR during the four weeks
5- Treatment of rats with ACR resulted in fluctuation in the enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT in the tissues of the testes, kidney, liver, according to the period of treatment and treatments with GO, TQ and LC showed disparity in the treatment of this fluctuation.
6- An observable decrease in testosterone level in plasma of ACR treated rats in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week. Co-treatments with TQ and LC cleared a slight improvement at the end of the fourth week.
7- Testes of rats treated with ACR degeneration in seminiferous tubules and the spermatogenic cells having no mature sperms, interstitial edema and hyperplasia of Leydig cells and atrophy in sperm cells with the formation of spermatid giant cells. In addition, ACR caused necrosis in the lining epithelium, filled of the lumen of the duct with eosinophilic debris and presence of dark spots stained germ cells distorted in the epididymis. Co-treatment with GO, TQ and LC led to moderate relieve in the tissues of the testes and epididymis caused by ACR especially at the 3rd and 4th weeks of treatment.
Conclusions: administration of ACR in drinking water for 28 days resulted in degenerative changes in testicular and epidydmial tissues, significant reduction in plasma testsosterone level. ACA administration significantly increased urea and the activity of AST, but significantly decreased creatinine levels. Moreover, measured parameters of oxidative stress were significantly altered in testicular renal and hepatic tissues Co administration of GO, TQ or LC ameliorate by different levels the previous changes that induced by ACR. Accordingly, GO, TQ or LC can be used as prophylactic supplements against ACR induced genotoxicity that mediated by oxidative stress.