Protective effects of dried Ficus carica L. fruit against cisplatin-induced reprotoxicity in male rats evaluated by high-frequency ultrasound

Moufida Lounis; Djahida Mahdi; Asma Saihia; Adel Aissi; Asma Berkani; Yahia Khelef

doi:10.55779/nsb18212864

Authors

Moufida Lounis University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, Department of Nature and Life Sciences, Laboratory of Natural Substances, Biomolecules and Biotechnological Applications, 04000 Oum El Bouaghi (DZ) https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0333-0240
Djahida Mahdi 1) University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, Department of Nature and Life Sciences, 04000 Oum El Bouaghi; 2) Badji Mokhtar University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology, Laboratory of Animal Eco-Physiology, 23000 Annaba (DZ) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7009-2340
Asma Saihia University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, Department of Nature and Life Sciences, 04000 Oum El Bouaghi (DZ) https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5432-2028
Adel Aissi University of Batna, Institute of Veterinary Sciences and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Surgery and Imaging Service, 05000 Batna (DZ) https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1176-4688
Asma Berkani University of Oum El Bouaghi, Faculty of Exact Sciences and Nature and Life Sciences, Department of Nature and Life Sciences, 04000 Oum El Bouaghi (DZ) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3730-3112
Yahia Khelef University of El Oued, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Biology, Environment and Health (LBEH), 39000 El Oued (DZ) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9255-3854

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55779/nsb18212864

Keywords:

cisplatin, Ficus carica L., high-frequency ultrasound, male reproductive toxicity, oxidative stress, sperm parameters, testicular histology

Abstract

Cisplatin (Cis) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, but its clinical use is limited by adverse effects on the testes and male reproductive function. This study evaluated, for the first time, the protective effect of dried Ficus carica L. fruit (F) against Cis-induced reprotoxicity in male rats using high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS), supported by hormonal, sperm, oxidative stress, anatomical, histological, heatmap, and principal component analyses. Twenty-four adult male rats were assigned to four groups: Control (C), F (1 g kg⁻¹day⁻¹), Cis (3.5 mg kg⁻¹week⁻¹, intraperitoneally, three times), and FCis. In Cis-treated rats, HFUS revealed increased testis length, reduced width, anechoic fluid regions, loss of parenchymal homogeneity, and disruption of the tunica albuginea. These alterations were associated with reduced body weight, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, sperm count, sperm motility, and glutathione, together with increased relative testicular weight and malondialdehyde levels. Anatomical and histological examinations confirmed inflammation, haemorrhage, congestion, germ-cell apoptosis, fibrosis, and deformation of the seminiferous tubules. Heatmap analysis showed positive correlations among hormone levels, sperm parameters, and glutathione, and negative correlations with malondialdehyde. Principal component analysis highlighted testis length and width as sensitive indicators of Cis toxicity. Co-treatment with Ficus carica L. markedly alleviated these adverse effects. These findings suggest that HFUS is a valuable non-invasive approach for assessing Cis-induced reprotoxicity in rats and that dried Ficus carica L. fruit may provide protective benefits.

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