protective effects of garlic aquous extract (allium sativum), vitamin e, and n-acetylcysteine on reproductive quality of male rats exposed to lead

the objective of present study was to investigate the effects of aqueous garlic extracts, vitamin e and n-acetylcysteine on lead-induced lipid peroxidation, changes in antioxidant defense system and semen quality in the rat testes. twenty-five male rats were divided into five groups. animals within different treatment groups were maintained on their respective diets for 35 days as follows: group 1 rats served as control and received water and standard pellets as food ad libitum; group 2 received lead acetate by gavage (1000 ppm); group 3 was treated with a. sativum extract (400 mg kg-1, by gavage) plus lead acetate (1000 ppm); group 4 was treated orally with vitamin e (300 mg of alpha-tocopherol per kg of chow) plus lead acetate (1000 ppm); group 5 was treated orally with n-acetylcysteine (800 ppm)plus lead acetate (1000 ppm). the weights of testes, epididymis, epididymal sperm count, viable and motile sperms decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in lead-exposed rats. however treatment with vitamin e and aqueous garlic extract resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in sperm motility and viability. exposure to lead acetate significantly increased malondialdehyde (mda) level with a significant decrease in the superoxide dismutase (sod) activities in the testes of rats while co-administration of vitamin e and lead caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in mda concentration compared with lead-exposed group. these results suggest that both vitamin e and in to a lesser extent aqueous garlic extract have a potent antioxidant protection in the testes of rat against the lead-induced oxidative stress.