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. 2023 Jan-Dec:37:3946320231172745.
doi: 10.1177/03946320231172745.

Dose-dependent effects of taurine against testicular damage in a streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus rat model

Ahmed H ElBanna  1 , Afaf S Osman  2 , Amira Hossny  3 , Hossny ElBanna  4 , Fatma I Abo El-Ela  5
Affiliations

Dose-dependent effects of taurine against testicular damage in a streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus rat model

Ahmed H ElBanna et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: Testicular dysfunction has been associated with chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus patients. We investigated taurine's possible mechanisms and protective effects against testicular damage using a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Methods: Wistar rats (N = 56) were divided into seven equal groups. Untreated control rats received saline, and treated control rats received taurine 50 mg/kg orally. To induce diabetes, rats received a single dose of streptozotocin. Metformin-treated diabetic rats received metformin at a dose of 300 mg/kg. Taurine-treated groups received 10, 25, or 50 mg/kg. All treatments were provided orally once a day for 9 weeks following the streptozotocin injection. Levels of blood glucose, serum insulin, cholesterol, testicular tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH), and catalase (CAT) were examined. Sperm count, progressive sperm motility, and sperm abnormalities were examined. Body and relative reproductive gland weights were assessed. Histopathological examinations of the testes and epididymis were performed.

Results: Metformin as well as taurine (in a dose-dependent manner) resulted in significant improvements in body and relative reproductive gland weights, blood glucose, serum cholesterol, and insulin levels, as well as cytokine and oxidative parameters. These findings were associated with significant improvement in sperm count, progressive sperm motility, sperm abnormalities, and histopathological lesions in the testes and epididymis.

Conclusion: Taurine can potentially improve hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, and testicular damage associated with diabetes mellitus, possibly by controlling inflammation and oxidative stress.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus type 1; hypercholesterolemia; reproductive toxicity; streptozotocin; taurine; testicular damage.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Body weight measured on day zero, 4 weeks, and 9 weeks of the experiment. While Relative weight of testes, prostate, and seminal vesicles in relation to whole body weight at the 9th week of the experiment. (Mean ± SE) (each group = eight adult Wistar rats) (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant differences from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU-10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group), and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Testicular levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (Mean ± SE) (each group = eight adult Wistar rats) (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant differences from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU -10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group), and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Testicular levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 and beta (IL-1β). (Mean ± SE) (each group = eight adult Wistar rats) (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant differences from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU-10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group), and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
A: Serum levels of follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) at the 9th week, B: Serum levels of testosterone hormone at the 9th week, C: Serum levels of cholesterol on day zero and at the 9th week (Mean ± SE) (each group = eight adult Wistar rats). (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant differences from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU-10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group) and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
A: Percentage of progressive sperm motility, B: sperm count, and C: percentage of sperm abnormalities (Mean ± SE) (Each group = eight adult Wistar rats), (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant difference from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU-10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group) and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
A: Serum insulin levels on day zero and at the 9th week, B: Blood glucose levels on day zero, 4 weeks, and 9 weeks. (Mean ± SE) (each group = eight adult Wistar rats) (Mean values with different superscript letters revealed significant differences from each other at p < 0.05), in between different groups and at the different times from Day of zero till 9 weeks. CN: Group I (negative control group), TAU: Group II (TAU-treated control group), STZ: Group III (positive control group), STZ-MET: Group IV (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), STZ-TAU-10: Group V (TAU-10-treated diabetic group), STZ-TAU-25: Group VI (TAU-25-treated diabetic group) and STZ-TAU-50: Group VII (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Histopathological examination of epididymis, (H&E-stain, 100×). (A), (Negative Control group), (B), STZ, (Positive Control group), (C), STZ-MET, (Metformin-treated diabetic rats), (D), TAU: (TAU-treated control group), (E), STZ-TAU-10(TAU-10-treated diabetic group), (F), STZ-TAU-25: (TAU-25-treated diabetic group) and (G), STZ-TAU-50: (TAU-50-treated diabetic group).
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
The control group (A) had a normal testicular and epididymis structure with normal spermatozoa contents. The contents of spermatozoa were lowered in the epididymis of STZ-treated rats (B) with degenerative testicular alterations appeared in the form of depletion of the secondary spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa with widening in the lumen and lowered appearance of the internal spermatozoa in the epididymis (Black arrow). TAU-treated rats at different dosages exhibited normal spermatozoa contents in their epididymis with normal spermatogenesis and testicular parenchyma in the testes similar to that of a control animal. Normal testicular and epididymal structure with massive appearance at different degrees in a dose-dependent manner for TAU administrations for spermatids, and spermatozoa in the epididymis (black arrows), TAU with (E–G) or without STZ (D).
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