Relieving 5-fluorouracil-associated testicular toxicity in rats: Investigating the therapeutic potential of arbutin

Demir E. A., Demir S., Usta Z. T., Alemdar N. T., Menteşe A., Aliyazıcıoğlu Y.

SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY, cilt.179, ss.22-30, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 179
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.sajb.2025.02.006
  • Dergi Adı: SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, CAB Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.22-30
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: 5-fluorouracil, Arbutin, Endoplasmic reticulum stress, Inflammation, Nrf2, Reprotoxicity
  • Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of various malignancies, but is associated with side effects, including testicular toxicity. Arbutin (ARB) is an effective antioxidant that can be obtained from a variety of natural products, including wheat, broccoli and pear. The present study investigated the protective effect of ARB, a bioactive glycosylated hydroquinone, on 5-FU-induced reprotoxicity in male rats. The rats were administered a single dose of 5-FU (100 mg/kg) on day 1 and two different doses of ARB (5 and 10 mg/kg) for the following 3 days. The administration of 5-FU resulted in testicular damage, as evidenced by reduced serum testosterone levels and an increase in histopathological findings. The study also found that the administration of 5-FU to rats resulted in increased testicular lipid peroxidation, inflammation and apoptosis, and a decrease in antioxidant capacity. The adverse effects observed in rats administered 5-FU were mitigated by the induction of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway following ARB administration. ARB may be considered a promising molecule to eliminate testicular toxicity after receiving 5-FU treatment. (c) 2025 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.