Improved effect of pumpkin seed oil against the bisphenol-A adverse effects in male mice

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative role of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) against potential adverse effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) in male mice. BPA was administered to the mice orally at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight once a day for 28 successive days. While, PSO was administered to the mice orally at 1 mL/kg b w either before, with or after treatment of BPA, once a day for 28 successive days. The studied parameters were DNA damage evaluation using comet assay in liver and testes cells and micronucleus test in bone marrow; and histopathological examination of liver and testes tissues. Results revealed that BPA induced DNA damage in tested cells and marked histopathological alterations in liver and testes. In contrast, PSO treatments alleviated DNA damage and improved the histopathological alterations in liver and testes tissues. Furthermore, administration of mice with the PSO before BPA treatment was the best regimen in the alleviation of the adverse effects of BPA, followed by administration of PSO after then with treatment of BPA. It can be concluded that PSO may has a protective role against BPA genotoxicity and histopathological alterations in male mice.

Keywords: Bisphenol-A; Comet assay; Genotoxicity; Histopathology; Micronucleus test; Pumpkin seed oil.

Fig. 1

Chemical structure of bisphenol-A (BPA).

Fig. 2

(A) Liver of control mice showing normal appearance of the central vein (C) and hepatic parenchyml cells (H). (B) Liver of BPA treated mice showing congestion (C) of the hepatic blood vessels and marked vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes with many necrotic cells (arrow). (C) Liver of BPA treated mice showing congestion of the central vein (C) and portal blood vessels (P) with marked hepatocellular vacuolar degeneration and necrosis (arrow). (D) Liver of PSO treated mice before BPA treatment showing mild vacuolar degeneration of the hepatocytes with some necrotic cells (arrow). (E) Liver of PSO treated mice concurrently with BPA showing centrilobular degeneration (C) and necrosis of the hepatocytes, notice the karyomegaly of some cells (arrow). (F) Liver of PSO treated mice after BPA treatment showing granular degeneration and scattered necrotic hepatocytes (arrow). (H&E X400).

Fig. 3

(A) Testes of control mice showing active spermatogenesis within most of the seminiferous tubules. (B) Testes of BPA treated mice showing severe necrosis and loss of the spermatogonial layers with multiple spermatide giant cells formation (arrow) in most of the seminiferous tubules. (C) Testes of BPA treated mice showing congestion of the interstitial blood vessel, destructed and abnormal spermatid formation (thin arrow), spermatid giant cells (thick arrow) and loss of most of the spermatogonial cell layers. (D) Testes of PSO treated mice before BPA treatment showing marked protection of the spermatogonial cells layers with active spermatogenesis (arrow) in the lumen of some seminiferous tubules. (E) Testes of PSO treated mice concurrently with BPA showing necrosis of some spermatogonial cells (thin arrow) with starting of active spermatogenesis (arrow) in some other seminiferous tubules. (F) Testes of PSO treated mice after BPA treatment showing degeneration and pyknosis of some spermatognial cells with active spermatogenesis in some other tubule (arrow), notice interstitial edema (thin arrow). (H&E X400).