Alpha‐lipoic acid andN‐acetylcysteine protects intensive swimming exercise‐mediated germ‐cell depletion, pro‐oxidant generation, and alteration of steroidogenesis in rat testis

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SUMMARY: Prolonged and strenuous exercise has been proposed as a possible source of male‐factor infertility. Forced intensive swimming has also been identified as one source of a dysfunctional male reproduction system. The present study evaluated the possible protective role of α‐lipoic acid andN‐acetylcysteine (NAC) on intensive swimming‐induced germ‐cell depletion in adult male rats. Forced exhaustive swimming of 1 hr/day, 6 days/week for 8 consecutive weeks resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in epididymal sperm; testicular androgenic enzyme activities; and plasma and intra‐testicular testosterone; and produced different types of germ cells in the seminiferous epithelium cycle. Conversely, plasma corticosterone levels and sperm‐head abnormalities increased. Western‐blot analysis showed a considerable decrease in testicular StAR protein expression whereas reverse‐transcriptase PCR analysis showed no significant change in cytochrome P450scc (Cyp11a1) gene expression. Significant (P < 0.05) elevation in testicular reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content versus reduction in glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S‐transferase, and caspase‐3 activities along with a depletion in the glutathione pool, mitochondrial membrane potential (▵ψm), and intracellular ATP generation. A considerable level of DNA damage in testicular spermatogenic cells were also noted following forced extensive swimming. Alpha‐lipoic acid and NAC supplementation prevented the swimming‐induced testicular spermatogenic and steroidogenic disorders by lowering ROS generation. We therefore conclude that intensive forced swimming causes germ‐cell depletion through the generation of ROS and depletion of steroidogenesis in the testis, which can be protected by the co‐administration of α‐lipoic acid and NAC.Mol. Reprod. Dev. 81: 833–850, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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