Objective To assess the protective effect of taurine on nicotine-induced oxidative damage in testis of rats.
Methods Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into negative control, taurine control, nicotine exposed, and taurine intervention groups. The negative control group was treated with 1 mL physiological saline subcutaneously and 1 mL double distilled water by gavage. The taurine control group was treated with 1 mL physiological saline subcutaneously and 1 mL double distilled water containing 100 mg/kg taurine by gavage. The nicotine exposed group was treated with 1 mL physiological saline solution containing 2 mg/kg nicotine subcutaneously and 1 mL double distilled water by gavage. The taurine intervention group was treated with 1 mL physiological saline solution containing 2 mg/kg nicotine subcutaneously and 1 mL double distilled water containing 100 mg/kg taurine by gavage. All the treatments were conducted once a day and lasted four weeks. The organ coefficients of testis and epididymis, sperm count and motility rate, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat testis, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in rat testis were examined.
Results The organ coefficients of testis and epididymis as well as sperm count and motility rate were lower in the nicotine exposed group than in the other three groups (P<0.05), and were lower in the taurine intervention group than in the negative control group and taurine control group (P<0.05). The content of MDA in rat testis of the nicotine exposed group was significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P<0.05), and that of the taurine intervention group was also significantly higher than those of the negative control group and the taurine control group (P<0.05). The activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in rat testis were all significantly lower in the rats treated with nicotine than in the other three groups (P<0.05), and the taurine intervention group also presented lower levels than the negative control group and the taurine control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion Nicotine could induce oxidative damage in rat testis tissues. Taurine may antagonize the above toxic effects through antioxidant mechanism.
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