Background and Objectives: Testicular dysfunction is the most common side effect of chemotherapeutics as cyclophosphamide (CP). Stem cells (SCs) transplantation has become a new therapeutic strategy in the treatment of male infertility. Lipoic acid (LA) is one of the effective antioxidants. This work aimed to evaluate the histological changes induced by CP on the rat testes and the possible ameliorating role of SCs and LA.
Methods and Results: 37 male albino rats were divided into: group A (Control), group B (experimental) that received intra peritoneal (IP) injection of 15 ml/kg CP for 6 wks. Then, they were subdivided into 5 subgroups: B1 (model) continued receiving CP for 11 wks, B2 (SCs) injected IP with single dose of SCs (1x106 per animal), B3 (LA) injected IP with both CP and LA (10 mg ⁄ kg ⁄ every other day) for 11 wks, B4 (SCs + LA) treated with both SCs and LA and B5 (recovery) left without any treatment for 11 wks. Histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies were performed. B1 and B5, revealed the toxic effect of CP; such as atrophy, degeneration, incomplete spermatogenic series in most seminiferous tubules. Spermatogenic and Leydig cells showed negative immunoreaction with BCl2. These changes were ameliorated in B2, B3andB4.These ameliorations were better in B4 than in B2andB3.
Conclusions: CP can induce testicular lesions in rats. Withdrawal of CP does not ameliorate these effects. The concomitant administration of SCs and LA with CP improved these lesions. Meanwhile combined treatment with SCs + LA resulted in better improvement more than using each one of them singly.