Investigation of the effect of hydroxytyrosol on testicular TSSK6 expression in STZ-induced type 1 diabetes rats

Diabetes mellitus is an important metabolic disease that affects male fertility by affecting endocrine control of spermatogenesis, reproduction and ejaculation. In this study, we investigated the effect of hydroxytyrosol, a polyphenolic compound known to prevent testicular damage, on the expression of Tssk6 protein, which plays an important role in spermatogenesis and male fertility. The rats used in the study were divided into 4 groups as control, hydroxytyrosol, streptozotocin and streptozotocin hydroxytyrosol. In the study, streptozotocin was administered as a single dose of 55 mg/kg and hydroxytyrosol was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 10 mg/kg for 30 days. In the study, blood glucose values were measured routinely and histopathological examination, Tssk6 protein immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods were applied in the tissues taken at the end of the study. Blood glucose levels of streptozotocin and streptozotocin+hydroxytyrosol groups increased significantly compared to control and hydroxytyrosol groups. In the streptozotocin + hydroxytyrosol group, blood glucose levels were significantly decreased compared to the streptozotocin group. In histological examinations, it was observed that the morphological deteriorations observed in the streptozotocin group were improved in the streptozotocin+hydroxytyrosol group. Tssk6 expression was significantly decreased in streptozotocin and streptozotocin+hydroxytyrosol groups compared to control and hydroxytyrosol groups. We observed that Tssk6 protein expression, which was decreased in the streptozotocin group, increased statistically significantly in the streptozotocin+hydroxytyrosol group. We determined that hydroxytyrosol lowers the increased blood glucose level in the type 1 diabetes model, reduces the damage to the testis, and increases the expression of Tssk6, which is important for the completion of spermatogenesis and sperm motility. As a result, hydroxytyrosol, which is abundant in olive and olive oil, which is the most important part of the Mediterranean diet, can reduce diabetes-related infertility by diabetic patients regulating blood glucose levels and increasing Tssk6 expression, which plays an important role in male fertility.