Administration of the α-tocopherol for repairing testicle histological damage in rats exposed to dioxin

This study aims to determine the α-tocopherol effect on repairing histological damage to the testicles of rats exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. The testicle histological damage and repairs were evaluated based on spermatogenic staging changes, seminiferous tubule diameter and the thickness of the epithelium. A total of 100 rats were divided into five groups. The control group (CG) rats only received a placebo. Meanwhile, in treatment groups, rats were exposed to dioxin 700 ng/kg/BW/day and four hours later they received a 0, 77, 140 and 259 α-tocopherol mg/kg/BW/day in the T0, T1, T2 and T3 groups, respectively. Dioxin exposure and α-tocopherol administration were conducted orally through a stomach tube in 45 days. Dioxin administration resulted in a reduction (p< 0.05) in the spermatogenic staging based on the number of spermatogenic cells and Leydig cells, diameter and thickness of the seminiferous tubule epithelium compared to those of normal rats (CG). The administration of 140 (T2) and 259 (T3) α- tocopherol mg/kg/BW/day alleviated the spermatogenesis depletion caused by dioxin, which was indicated by the higher (P<0.05) number of spermatogenic cells and Leydig cells and the diameter and thickness of the seminiferous tubule epithelium compared to the T0 group. A dose of 259 α-tocopherol mg/kg/BW/day (T3) raised the spermatogenic staging closer to that of the normal rats, although it was still lower (p <0.05). It can be concluded that α-tocopherol antagonized the toxicity of dioxin on the testis.