Molecular effects of chemotherapeutic drugs and their modulation by antioxidants in the testis

Abstract Cisplatin-based chemotherapy regimens are preferred in the treatment of a variety of cancers. The present study investigated early cumulative molecular effects of therapeutic dose-levels of b leomycin, e toposide and cis p latin (BEP) in the testis and their modulation by an antioxidant cocktail (AO). Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats (N = 7/group [G]) were treated with BEP as follows: G1 — control; G2 — AO (α-tocopherol [100 mg/kg], l -ascorbic acid [50 mg/kg], Zn [40 mg/l] and Se [100 μg/l]); G3 — B, 1.5 mg/kg on day 2; E, 15 mg/kg and P, 3 mg/kg for 4 days, and G4 — similar to G3 but also treated with AO for 4 days. In G3, the testis weight, sperm count and motility, and activities of enzymatic antioxidants decreased and lipid peroxidation increased compared to that in G1 (P