Abstract

As optimization of farm animals reproductive performance is a main objective, the present study was, undertaken to investigate the possible protective effect of vitamin C, vitamin E and olive pomace against dizocilpine (MK-801) induced oxidative stress and its resultant alterations on antioxidant status, spermiogram, hormonal, enzyme markers and histomorphology of testes of rabbit bucks during first and second month of the experiment. For this purpose thirty six male New Zealand White rabbits bucks were equally and randomly divided into six groups (6 in each) namely control injected with 1.0 ml sterile saline; second group was injected by dizocilpine at a dose 0.1 mg/kg. intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 5 consecutive days, the third group was subjected to dizocilpine and supplemented with “vitamin C” (1 g/L of drinking water) 1 g contain 100 I.U. vit C, while the forth group was subjected to dizocilpine and supplemented with “vitamin E” (50 ml/100 L of drinking water,1ml contain 20 I.U. vit E,) and those of the fifth group were supplemented with “vitamin C” plus “vitamin E”. All five groups were fed the same basal diet, while the sixth group was subjected to dizocilpine and fed diet which contains olive cake meal (10%). Results in first month revealed (1) significant decrease in spermiogram, antioxidative parameters, testicular estradiol, testosterone, enzyme markers and clear pathological changes in testes of dizocilpine group; (2) Significant improvement in the measured parameters of groups subjected to dizocilpine and supplemented with “vitamin E”, “vitamin C” and olive pomace; (3) significant increase of all measured parameters in the “vitamin C” plus “vitamin E” supplemented group. On the other hand, results at second month showed no difference between all groups in these parameters. Conclusively, it was obvious that the supplementation with vitamin C or/and vitamin E and olive pomace to male rabbits exposed to oxidative stress was associated with improved spermiogram, anti-oxidative parameters, hormonal and testicular enzymatic activities.

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