Effects of Vitamins A and E on Improving Testes Damage of Male Wistar Rat Induced by Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

Abstract

Background: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) are widely used in medicine and industry. In this study, the protective effects of fat-soluble vitamins A (1000 IU/kg) and E (100 IU/kg) on oxidative stress caused by TiO₂ NPs (300 mg/kg body weight (BW) in the testes of rats were studied. Methods: A total of 36 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups of six rats. Two control groups were treated with bi-distilled water and olive oil, respectively. The intoxicated group received 300 mg/kg TiO₂ NPs. The three remaining groups were given vitamins E (100 IU/kg) + TiO₂ NPs (300 mg/kg), vitamins A (100 IU/kg) + TiO₂ NPs (300 mg/kg), and a mixture of vitamins E (100 IU/kg) and vitamins A (100 IU/kg) + TiO₂ NPs (300 mg/kg), correspondingly. The treatments were carried out for two weeks, although vitamins were given to animals one week earlier than TiO₂. At the end of treatment, the testicular tissue of rats was studied for total antioxidant capacity (TAC); catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities by related kits; total oxidant status (TOS) and lipid peroxidation index, malondialdehyde (MDA) through manual methods; Furthermore, gene expression levels of SOD, GPx, Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein assay of TNF-α was conducted using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: TiO₂ NPs stimulated oxidative stress via the marked reduced antioxidant (p < 0.05), increased oxidant status p < 0.05, and elevated inflammatory mediators in testicular tissue (p < 0.05) compared to the control groups. Interestingly, treatment with the vitamins significantly attenuated the oxidative stress induced through TiO₂ NPs (p < 0.05). The combination of vitamins A and E on reducing oxidative stress and inflammation had a more significant effect than the vitamins alone. Conclusion: Vitamins A and E, as effective agents, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on the toxicity of TiO₂ NPs in testes.