Investigation of the effect of Hydroxytyrosol on Testicular Prdx6 expression in STZ-induced Type 1 Diabetes rats

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease that develops due to high blood sugar and is characterized by insulin deficiency. Oxidative stress due to diabetes is the beginning of all fertility problems and affects all signaling pathways in spermatogenesis. It causes diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, ejaculation, changes in reproductive organs and semen quality. Hydroxytyrosol is a powerful natural antioxidant in olive oil. This component reduces and protects against spermatogenic function damage in testicles due to diabetes. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of hydroxytyrosol, which is known to reduce and protect against spermatogenic function damage in the testicles, on the expression of Prdx6 protein, which plays an important role in the viability, motility and fertilization ability of spermatozoa. Twenty eight male rats were used in the study. Rats were divided into four groups as control (saline only), hydroxytyrosol (10 mg/kg hydroxytyrosol intraperitoneally for 30 days), steptozotocin (single dose 55 mg/kg streptozotocin intraperitoneally), streptozotocin + hydroxytyrosol (single dose intraperitoneally 55 mg/kg streptozotocin and 30 days intraperitoneally 10 mg/kg hydroxytyrosol). Expression of Prdx6 protein was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot methods. Prdx6 expression was significantly increased in the streptozotocin group compared to the control and hydroxytyrosol groups. In the streptozotocin+hydroxytyrosol group, Prdx6 expression was statistically significantly decreased compared to the control, hydroxytyrosol and streptozotocin groups. As a result, streptozotocin application increased Prdx6 expression. However, hydroxytyrosol application after streptozotocin caused a decrease in Prdx6 expression. These findings suggested that hydroxytyrosol exerts its protective role in diabetic testis independently of Prdx6.