The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on some
oxidative markers in testes of streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. This study
included thirty adult male albino rats divided equally into control group (I), nontreated
diabetic group (II) and atorvastatin-treated diabetic group (III). After eight
weeks, all rats were sacrificed. In testes, xanthine oxidase(XO) and NADPH oxidase
enzyme activities were determined. In addition, reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels
were measured using dichlorofluorescein method. Testicular hemeoxygenase-1(HO-
1), testosterone and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) were estimated by ELISA and HPLC
techniques respectively.
The results of this study showed that in STZ-induced diabetic rats, XO and NADPH
oxidase activities as well as ROS and HO-1 levels increased significantly as
compared to control values , while CoQ10 decreased significantly. Administration of
atorvastatin to diabetic rats could significantly reduce XO and NADPH oxidase
activities and ROS levels. In addition, it increased CoQ10 and testosterone testicular
levels but without apparent effect on hyperglycemia or HO-1 levels. XO, NADPH
oxidase, ROS, HO-1 and glucoce was found to correlate positively to each other. In
contrast, CoQ10 was inversely correlated to the previously mentioned parameters.
These data support the protective antioxidant effect of atorvastatin. This drug could
attenuate the oxidative stress induced in testes of STZ-diabetic rats possibly through
decreasing XO and NADPH oxidase activities as well as ROS levels and also through
increasing antioxidant CoQ10 levels. However, it could not modulate hyperglycemia
or testicular HO-1 levels.