The effect of L-carnitine regarding the testicular damage induced by paracetamol in mice

Objective: No study involving the effects of L-carnitine with regard to testicular damage induced by paracetamol could be found. For this reason, the effect of L-carnitine with regard to testicular damage induced by paracetamol will be examined. Method: Subjects were randomly seperated to SF1, SF2, APAP1, APAP2, Protective effect and Treatment groups. SF groups were given only saline. Paracetamol (SIGMA-A-7085 100 gr) was intraperitoneally administered to the APAP group as 400 mg/exp/day. L-carnitine (SIGMA-C-0283 5g) was administered intraperitoneally to provide 500 mg/exp/day of protective effect and treatment group. SF1, APAP1 and Protective effect group were sacrificed on day 10, SF2, APAP2, treatment group were sacrificed on day 15 days under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia, and testes were collected. Left testists were used for enzyme activities, right testes were used for histological examinations. Mice were recorded with results including parameters such as subject and testicle weights. Subjects were weighed at the beginning and end of the experiment. The sections obtained for light microscopic examinations were stained with Hematoxylen-Eosin (HE), Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) and Masson Trichrome. In the sections, Johnsen score, seminiferous tubule diameter, seminiferous tubule epithelium height and basal membrane thickness were evaluated. TUNEL and active caspase-3 staining were performed to detect apoptosis. The testis structure was examined ultrastructurally. Glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were examined in testicular tissue for examining enzyme activities. Results: On the light microscopic and ultrastructural examinations, testis structure was observed normal in SF1 and SF2 groups. In the APAP1 and APAP2 groups, irregularity in spermatogenic serial cell arrangement, germ cell loss and vacuolization, decrease in the thickness and diameter of the seminiferous tubule basement membrane, and interstitial connective tissue were observed. In the protective effect group and the treatment group, the testis structure was observed in the normal morphology. Immunohistochemically, TUNEL and caspase-3 staining were performed to determine positive cell activation in testicular tissue specimens. We found that the number of apoptotic cells in the APAP1 and APAP2 groups increased significantly according to the SF1 and SF2 groups. When we compared the APAP1 and APAP2 groups with the protective effect and the treatment group, we observed that the protective effect and the treatment groups showed a significant decrease in the number of apoptotic cells. Conclusion: In our study, we demonstrated the protective and therapeutic effect of LK in testicular damage induced by APAP. Keywords: paracetamol, l-carnitine, testis, mice