STEREOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF NIGELLA SATIVA OIL ON THE MICE TESTIS TISSUE FOLLOWING PARA-NONYLPHENOL INDUCED TOXICITY

Para-Nonylphenol (p-NP) is an estrogenic compound with toxic effects on the
various organs including testis. The purpose of this investigation was to study the toxic effects of p-NP
on the testis tissue of mice and evaluation of the effect of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) against this toxicity
Materials & Methods: This study was conducted on 24 adult male NMRI mice (32±3 g) that were
divided into 4 groups (n=6), control, NSO (5mg/kg/day), p-NP (250mg/kg/day) and p-NP + NSO, and
treated orally for 34 days. Finally, mice were sacrificed, their right testis were taken out, fixed, sectioned,
processed and stained using Heidenhain̕ & azan method. Testicular tissue sections were evaluated using
stereological method. Lipid peroxidation index, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, was also measured in
serum of mice. The data were statistically analyzed using one way ANOVA and difference means was
considered significant at P<0.05.
Results: A significant decrease in the diameter (P<0.008), height of the germinal epithelium (P<0.007),
the thickness of the basement membrane (P<0.05) of the seminiferous tubules, the total number of long
and round spermatids, spermatocytes, spermatogonia and sertoli cells (p<0.001) and also a significant
increase in the MDA level (p<0.001) was observed in the p-NP group compared to the control. The
above parameters were significantly compensated in the p-NP+NSO group to the control level (P<0.05).
Conclusion: NSO has a protective effect on the p-NP toxicity in the mice testis therefore it can be
suggested as a raputic supplement in preventing the adverse effects of p-NP exposure in industrial zones