Investigating the Effects of Apilarnil on Vincristine-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Rats

Vincristine (VCR) is a common drug used for this purpose. Apilarnil is a substance known for its antioxidant, antidiabetic and chemoprotective properties with positive effects on the reproductive system. In this study, the effects of apilarnil against testicular damage in vincristine-treated rats were investigated. For this purpose, 35 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into five groups as control, VCR, APL, VCR + APL 200 mg/kg of body weight and VCR + APL 400 mg/kg of body weight. VCR was administered intraperitoneally between days 1-6 and 9-14, while APL was administered by oral gavage for 14 days. After the study, rats were sacrificed, testicular tissues were removed and examined biochemically and histopathological, and epididymis tissue was used for spermatological analysis. VCR administration induced oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation and apoptosis in testicular tissue, leading to changes in testicular histology and decreased epididymal sperm quality. APL administration, on the other hand, suppressed oxidative stress, apoptosis, ER stress and inflammation while preserving testicular histology and preventing the decrease in epididymal sperm quality. In conclusion, APL has protective effects against the damage caused during chemotherapy.