Abstract: Background and Objective: One of the several side effects of cancer treatment remains cytotoxicity. The curative effect of aqueous zest
extract of Citrus paradisi on cisplatin-induced testicular degeneration was studied. Materials and Methods: Sixteen male Wistar rats
(10-12 weeks old) weighing 237-276 g were divided into four groups. The first group of rats served as control and were
treated orally with 2.5 mL kg1 b.wt day1, group B rats treated with single dose of 10 mg kg1 b.wt., group C and D rats were treated
with a single dose of 10 mg kg1 b.wt. of cisplatin and then treated orally with 10 and 40 mg kg1 b.wt. of aqueous zest extract
of Citrus paradisi for 8 weeks. Results: Results showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in testis weight, testis volume, sperm count,
sperm motility and normal sperm morphology (p<0.01). Also, observed was marked degeneration and atrophied tubules with absence
of late stage germ cells evidenced by significant reduction in tubular diameter (p>0.01), perimeter (p>0.01), length (p>0.001) and
width (p>0.05) in germinal epithelia height (p>0.05), cross-sectional area, number of profiles per unit area and numerical density,
PAS-positive materials and Ki67 cells of seminiferous tubules of the rats treated with cisplatin alone. Interestingly, all these parameters
were attenuated in the groups that were post-treated with the extract. Conclusion: Based on these evidenced it was concluded that
aqueous zest extract of Citrus paradisi have curative roles in the abatement of cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity in Wistar rats. |