RESUMO
Chemotherapy for cancer treatment may result in a temporary or long-term gonadal damage resulting in subfertility or infertility. Cyclophosphamide (CY) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent that has been widely used in the treatment of cancer. Recent studies have shown that synthetic resorcinol lipid AMS35AA (3-Heptyl-3,4,6-trimethoxy-3H-isobenzofuran-1-one) may be an important adjuvant chemotherapy that potentiates mutagenic damage and increases apoptosis caused by CY. The present study investigates the action of AMS35AA alone or/in association with CY on testicular function. Animals were divided into four groups: (a) control group: received only water; (b) CY group: received 150 µg/g of CY b.w., i.p.; (c) AMS35AA group: received 10 µg/g of AMS35AA b.w., i.p; and (d) associated group: received 10 µg/g of AMS35AA + 150 µg/g of CY b.w., i.p. Four weeks after the treatment, the results showed that testes weight of CY and associated groups decreased. However, the number of Sertoli cell and Leydig cell per testis was similar in control and treated groups. Our findings provide strong evidence that the AMS35AA alone or in CY association is not toxic to spermatogenesis. The absence of toxicity of AMS35AA supports the view that the resorcinolic lipid could be used associated with CY chemotherapy without causing adverse effects to testes function.
Assuntos
Benzofuranos , Animais , Benzofuranos/toxicidade , Ciclofosfamida/toxicidade , Masculino , Espermatogênese , TestículoRESUMO
Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen, popularly known as "Brazilian ginseng," is used as medicinal plant in Brazil to treat inflammatory diseases in general. Previous studies showed that its extract increases the nitric oxide (NO) levels. Knowing that NO downregulates steroidogenesis and that alterations in the action/production of androgens during perinatal life could alter testis development, the present studies sought to investigate the reproductive toxicity of Pfaffia glomerata on male mice exposed to hydroalcoholic extract in utero and during lactation. The present study shows that P. glomerata extract does not alter body weight, tubular diameter and testis function in male mice. Although a reduction in the testis weight was observed in the animals that received the highest dose directly in early post-natal life, our findings show clearly that P. glomerata may not act as an endocrine disruptor, and it is not an "antiandrogenic" compound that could lead to testicular dysgenesis syndrome.