%0 Journal Article
%T Weight Loss and Melatonin Reduce Obesity-Induced Oxidative Damage in Rat Testis
%A Dogan Atilgan
%A Bekir S. Parlaktas
%A Nihat Uluocak
%A Fikret Erdemir
%A Sahin Kilic
%A Unal Erkorkmaz
%A Huseyin Ozyurt
%A Fatma Markoc
%J Advances in Urology
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/836121
%X Aim. We aimed to evaluate the antioxidant effects of weight loss and melatonin on the obesity-induced oxidative damage in rat testes. Materials and Methods. 28 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 7 rats: control group (Group 1), obesity group (Group 2), obesity + MLT group (Group 3), and weight loss group (Group 4). Rats were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed and 5£¿cc blood samples were obtained from all of the rats. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and protein carbonyl (PC) levels were analysed in the testicular tissues and serum. Spermatogenesis was evaluated with the Johnsen scoring system. Results. The testicular tissue and serum levels of MDA, PC, and SOD activity were increased in the obesity group in comparison to the sham operated group ( ). Weight loss and melatonin treatment ameliorated MDA, PC, and SOD levels in testicular tissue and serum significantly ( ). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of mean Johnsen score ( ). Conclusion. Experimentally created obesity caused oxidative stress and both melatonin and weight loss reduced oxidative stress parameters in rat testes. 1. Introduction Obesity is the accumulation of excessive fat in adipose tissue and it is one of the most important health problem in the world at the present time which affects both gender and all age groups [1]. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and certain reproductive and metabolic disorders. Once considered as a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings [2]. The relevance of increased BMI with poor semen quality [3], decreased sperm concentration [4¨C7], decreased normal-motile sperm cells, and increased DNA fragmentation index [8, 9] was shown in many studies recently. In contrast to these results, there are also some other studies that claimed no relationship between obesity and sperm concentration, motility or morphology, as well as [10¨C12]. The mechanisms that describe the relationship between obesity and male infertility are still unclear. Increased DNA fragmentation [9], oxidative stress (OS) [13], and hormonal imbalance [14, 15] have been proposed as the likely mechanisms of sperm abnormalities associated with obesity. Oxidative injury is a complex phenomenon that
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/au/2013/836121/