Protective effects of some fruit juices with low-fat diet on rat testis damaged by carbon tetrachloride: A genetic and histological study

Abstract

Oxidative stress, free radical, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant have become a common expression with most disease and methods for protection. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is an industrial solvent which has destructive effects on a cell while most fruit juices have antioxidant effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of fruit juice on testis after toxic effect with CCl₄ through oxidative stress with basal diet and low-fat diet. Seventy-five male albino rats were used for this study in which the juices of three fresh fruit, yellow apples (Malus domestica, L.), red grapes containing seeds (Vitis vinifera, L.) and pomegranates (Punica granatum, L.) were used as therapeutic agents. Histological sections of testis indicated that low-fat diet has obvious effects than basal diet in both the low-fat diet with CCl4 "LdC""con++", LdC with grape juice 2 ml "grpL2", LdC with pomegranate juice 2 ml "pomL2" and hyper effect in LdC with pomegranate juice 4 ml "pomL4" while it was equal in effect with basal diet in the other treatments. Low-fat diet gave significant effects (about 75% recovery in con++, LdC with Apple juice 2 ml and 4 ml "appL2, appL4" , LdC with grape juice 4 ml "grpL4" and pomL2) while 25% began to recover as shown in basal diet with pomegranate juice 4 ml "pomB4" and grpL2. Treatment of rats with pomegranate juice ameliorated the toxic effects of CCl4 with low-fat diet on Semi-random RAPD-DNA profile. Low-fat diet with fruit juice had positive effect against toxicity induced by CCl4 in testes of rats on the level of histological and DNA-RAPD studies.

Key words: CCl₄, rat testis, yellow apples, red grapes, pomegranates, low-fat diet, oxidative stress.