The Protective Effect of Vitamin E on Morphological and Biochemical Alteration Induced by Pre and Postnatal Ethanol Administration in the Testis of Male Rat Offspring: A Three Months Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND: Dysmorphology and dysfunction caused by prenatal ethanol consumption in different organs of the offspring are wellknown phenomena. The objective of the present study was to explore the antioxidant effect of vitamin E supplementation on testis damage induced by maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy and early postnatal days. METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats on gestation day 7 were assigned to 3 groups, namely, control, ethanol and ethanol-vitamin E groups. Ethanol-treated rats received 4.5 g/kg BW ethanol once per day from day 7 and the procedure continued through postnatal day 21. Vitamin E group received 300 mg of vitamin E and the same amount of ethanol. The male offspring from each group were anesthetized by 10% chloral hydrate (0.5 ml/kg body weight) on day 21 and 90 (n=8 offspring form each group on day 21 and day 90). The results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. A p<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The results revealed significant (p<0.05) changes in oxidative stress parameters, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone, as well as testis structural alteration in offspring of ethanol group after 21 and 90 days of birth as compared to the control. Significant amelioration of changes in testis structure, along with restoration of the elevated level of oxidative stress parameters were found in vitamin E-treated animals. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that prenatal and postnatal ethanol-induced toxicity in testis was exerted through oxidative stress and implied that these effects could be alleviated by vitamin E as an antioxidant.