an investigation into the effect of exogenous melatonin on spermatogenesis of pinealectomised busulfan induced oligospermic adult rats

background: damage to spermatogenic and fertility disorders are among major side effects of chemotography drugs such as busulfan. to reduce the side effects of these drugs different methods such as protecting and fixing germinal cell epithelium, while employing chemotherapy are used. the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of exogenous melatonin on the treatment of oligospermic in spermatogenesis. methods: sixty adult wistar rats were used and randomly divided into 6 groups: 1-the control group, 2-recipient busulfan, 3-recipient of the dmso (vehicle busulfan) , 4-surgical sham  group, 5-pinealectomized, recipient busulfan and ethanol (vehicle melatonin), 6-pinealectomized, recipient busulfan and melatonin as experimental group. single dose of busulfan (20mg/kg) and melatonin (0.5mg/kg) for 60 days were used by ip injection. results : busulfan significantly reduced sperm parameters (number, motility, form and size) in comparison with that of control group (p<0.05). however, in combined treatment in comparison with recipient busulfan group, melatonin treated germinal cell epithelium and created a spermatogenic cell mass in the seminiferous tubules. conclusion: melatonin has a protective effect on spermatogenesis via unknown mechanism. it seems that decreasing oxidative damage interfere in this mechanism.