Atorvastatin in male reproductive system cell lines assessment of toxicity

The function of the male reproductive system is to produce androgens, such as testosterone that maintain male reproductive function and promote spermatogenesis, allowing them to be transported to the female reproductive system for fertilization. Functional cells of the male reproductive system consist of Leydig and Sertoli cells located in the testicles. Atorvastatin, a statin derivative; it is an HMG-CoA reductase enzyme inhibitor. It reduces cholesterol synthesis in the liver by preventing the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. In scientific and medical literature; effects of statin therapy on steroid levels and sperm counts in men with hypercholesterolemia; it is highly variable depending on population, dose, and comorbidities. Within the scope of this thesis study, dose-dependent cell viability was tested with MTT assay on TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cell lines. % inhibition values were calculated for each concentration of atorvastatin calcium and the inhibitor concentration 50 was determined based on these concentrations. In conclusion; it was observed that atorvastatin significantly reduced cell viability at different concentrations applied to TM3 Leydig and TM4 Sertoli cells in the MTT test. Keywords: Atorvastatin, TM3 Leydig cells, TM4 Sertoli cells, MTT test