The role of flaxseed and vitamin E on oxidative stress in prepubertal rats with experimental varicocele: An experimental study

Abstract

Background: Prepubertal varicocele has the most devastating effects on\nthe testes. Oxidative stress is the major cause leading to infertility\nin varicocele. The antioxidant properties of Flaxseed (FS) treatment in\nsome oxidative diseases have been reported. Objective: This study aimed\nto evaluate the antioxidant effect of FS in prepubertal rats with\nexperimental varicocele. Materials and Methods: Forty two male\nprepubertal rats were divided into 6 groups: the varicocele group were\neither fed with 10% FS, or with regular diet, or with Vit E, the group\nwith sham operation fed with 10% FS, or had regular diet, and control\nrats who had not been operated but received regular diet. Varicocele\nwas created by Koksal method. After 6 weeks sperm superoxide anion and\nH2O2 were evaluated by flowcytometery. Semen total antioxidant capacity\n(TAC) by Koracevic method and testes malondialdehyde (MDA) by\nthiobarbituric acid with spectrophotometry was measured. Results: While\nsuperoxide anion and H2O2 were significantly higher in varicocele grop\nwith regular diet (p=0.0001), FS significantly decreased the\npreviously-mentioned parameters (p=0.0001). There were no significant\ndifferences for seminal TAC between 6 groups (p=0.07). Left testicular\nMDA concentration were lower in varicocele or group that were fed with\n10% FS compared with other groups (p=0.001). Conclusion: Reactive\noxygen species (ROS) may cause sperm oxidative damage. FS as a fat\nsoluble antioxidant can scavenge intracellular ROS production in\nvaricocele.