combined protective effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles and melatonin on cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in testicular histology and sperm parameters in adult wistar rats

Background: cyclophosphamide (cp) has been known as an anticancer drug with several side effects on various organs such as a male reproductive system that can cause infertility. objective: to evaluate the possible combined effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (nzno) and melatonin (mel) on sperm parameters and histopathological changes of the testis in cp-treated rats. materials and methods: 42 adult male wistar rats were divided into six groups. gi: control, gii: 60 mg/kg/wk cp, giii and giv, 10 mg/kg/wk mel and 5mg/kg/wk nzno and gv: 5 mg/kg/wk nzno and 10 mg/kg/wk mel were given 2 hr prior to cp injection, respectively,gvi: 5mg/kg/wk nzno and 10 mg/kg/wk mel simultaneously. after 8 wk of treatment, rats were sacrificed and testis and epididymis were harvested for further evaluation. results: the cp-treated group showed significant decreases in the body, testes and epididymis weights and sperm parameters (sperm count, viability, motility) with an increase abnormal sperms when compared with the control (p<0.001), as well as many histological alterations included decreased diameters of seminiferous tubules and johnsen’s testicular score (with degeneration, desquamation, multi-nucleated giant cell formation), whereas combined treatment (gv), showed more protective effects on cp-induced reproductive system damage compared with groups iii or iv (p<0.001). conclusion: these results suggest simultaneous administration of mel and nzno have more effectively protections against cp-induced reproductive damage than mel or nzno alone.