Carnitine Diminishes Etoposide Toxic Action on Spermatogonial Self-renewal and Sperm Production in Adult Rats Treated in the Prepubertal Phase

Author(s)

Okada, Fatima Kazue ^[1] ; Stumpp, Taiza ^[1] ; Miraglia, Sandra Maria ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dev Biol Lab, 740 Botucatu, Ed Leitao da Cunha, 2nd Floor, BR-04023900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF HISTOCHEMISTRY & CYTOCHEMISTRY; v. 68, n. 5 MAR 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate carnitine action against negative effects of etoposide on stem/progenitor spermatogonia and on sperm production. Carnitine (250 mg/kg body weight/day) and etoposide (5 mg/kg body weight/day) were administered from 25-days postpartum to 32-days postpartum. Testes were collected at 32-days postpartum, 64-days postpartum, and 127-days postpartum, and submitted to the immuno-labeling of UTF1, SOX2, and PLZF proteins to identify undifferentiated spermatogonia populations. At 127-days postpartum, sperm were collected for analysis. Carnitine+etoposide group showed a higher numerical density of spermatogonia labeled for all studied proteins at 64-days postpartum (critical age) compared to the etoposide group. Moreover, there was an improvement of spermatic parameters and sperm DNA integrity in rats of the carnitine+etoposide group in comparison with rats of the etoposide group. The results suggest that carnitine improves the self-renewal of undifferentiated spermatogonia and promotes a partial protection on them, alleviating the etoposide harmful late effects and leading to an enhancement of the sperm parameters in adulthood: (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/12371-8 - Immunohistochemical and stereological study on spermatogonial cell populations of rats treated with etoposide and carnitine in the prepuberty
• Grantee: Sandra Maria Miraglia Valdeolivas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants