INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPROVEMENT EFFECT OF LCARNITINE ON CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE INDUCEDTESTICULAR DAMAGE IN ADULT MALE RATS

Cyclophosphamide is an antineoplastic drug that has many useful effects in cancer treatment, but it has toxic effects due to induced free radicals. In this study the effects of L-carnitine as an antioxidant drug on testis tissue and its sexual hormones was investigated. 48 adult male wistar rats were selected randomly and divided to 6 groups including :control, sham (received normal saline) , cyclophosphamide received group ( 5 mg/kg), and experimental groups 1, 2, and 3 (receiving 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg doses of L-carnitine, respectively). L-carnitine and normal salin were administered as gavage. After dissection, the rats' testes were removed and put in 10% formalin for fixation and slides preparation processes were carried out. Also their serum samples were separated in order to measure the LH,FSH and testosterone with eliza. The results revealed a significant decrease in number of spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatids, sertoli, leydig cells, LH, FSH and testosterone hormones in rats that received cyclophosphamide in compared to control and sham groups(P≤0.05). So the results revealed an increase in the number of sexual cells, and sexual hormones in the under treatment with L-carnitine high dosage groupes compared to cyclophosphamide group (P≤0.05). The concurrent use of cyclophosphamide and L-carnitine can decrease the cyclophosphamide toxic effects on testes tissue and its sexual hormones. Key words: L-carnitine, cyclophosphamide, Testis, Rat.