Radioprotective effects of dexmedetomidine on X-ray-induced testicular damage


Dil E., Tümkaya L., Mercantepe T., Rakıcı S., Yılmaz A., Samanci T. C., ...More

EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES, vol.27, no.2, pp.673-680, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 27 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.26355/eurrev_202301_31069
  • Journal Name: EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Page Numbers: pp.673-680
  • Keywords: Apoptosis, Dexmedetomidine, Oxidative stress, Ra-dioprotection, Testis, X-irradiation, ISCHEMIA-REPERFUSION, MOUSE TESTES, DNA-DAMAGE, INJURY, RADIATION, APOPTOSIS, EXPRESSION, SYSTEM, CELLS
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 70% of cancer patients require radiotherapy. Howev-er, despite its effectiveness in the treatment of cancer, radiotherapy can also affect and damage surrounding healthy tissues in addition to tumor-ous tissues. Since testicular tissues are highly radiosensitive, radiotherapy can cause impair -ments in spermatogenesis leading to infertility. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential radio-protective effect of dexmedetomi-dine (Dex), an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, on oxi-dative stress and apoptosis in testicular tissues caused by x-irradiation in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into three groups of ten (n=10): control, irradiation (IR), and IR + Dex groups. The IR group was exposed to a sin-gle dose of 2 Gy IR. The IR+Dex group was given a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) dose of 100 mu g/kg Dex before IR. The control group received a single dose of saline solution i.p. Testicular tissues removed 24 hours after IR were subjected to histochemical, bio-chemical, and immunohistochemical analysis.RESULTS: IR resulted in increased malondialde-hyde (MDA) activity and significant changes in tes-tis tissues. However, the application of Dex elevat-ed glutathione levels by preventing MDA formation. In addition, Dex decreased tubular epithelial apop-tosis via elevated Cleaved Caspase-3 expressions.CONCLUSIONS: Dex exhibited a radio-protec-tive effect against lipid peroxidation and apopto-sis caused by IR.