Prevention of Arsenic Induced Testicular Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage by Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin E in Swiss Albino Mice

Arsenic toxicity has become one of the major public health problems in certain parts of the world. Thus, it is rational to find out a suitable compound to prevent arsenic-induced toxicity for clinical usage. Hence, the Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin E were tested against arsenic-induced testicular oxidative stress and DNA damage. The mice were divided into five groups, animals of the four groups were exposed to 136 ppm arsenic via drinking water for 30 days. Subsequently, animals of three groups were treated with Vitamin E (50 mg/kg b.wt.), Coenzyme Q10 (10 mg/kg b.wt.), and their combination for 30 days, and animals of the 4th group were maintained without antioxidant treatment. The animals of the 5th group (without any treatment) served as control. Thereafter, blood was collected, for DNA damage study, and testis dissected out to assess oxidative stress. The body and testis weight gain were lower in the arsenic subjected group compared to the control group whereas antioxidants (Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, and combination) treatment checks to some extent this decline. Biochemical data indicated that lipid peroxidation level was higher while reduced glutathione, total thiol, superoxide dismutase, and total protein level was significantly lesser in the arsenic exposed group compared to the control group, and antioxidants treatment diminished arsenic-induced these alterations to some extent. Arsenic induces DNA damage in the blood cells of mice by displaying a significantly lower head DNA percentage and a higher level of tail DNA percentage, tail length, tail moment, while Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10, and combination were able to lower these changes. The data further revealed that the combined treatment of Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q10 is more effective than the treatment of these antioxidants individually.