Protective effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on cadmium-induced testicular injury: A crucial role of antioxidant enzymes in male mice infertility

Infertility in men is referred to inability to achieve pregnancy in fertile females after at least one year of regular intercourse. The lack of oxygen in the environment may lead to an imbalance of testes production. Swiss mice were alienated into four groups 10 mice/each. This included one negative normal control group I. The induction of infertility was achieved with injection of cadmium chloride at dose 3 mg/kg body weight for four consecutive days for the rest groups. Group III received vehicle (saline) from the second day of induction for the similar period during the experiment. Infertile mice determined depending on alterations in morphology, motility, and reduced sperm count. Group IV was treated with 3 mg/kg of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) per day, for 6 days from the second day of cadmium intoxication. Data showed effectiveness of CAPE significantly through improving the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GST and GSH in testes homogenate and GSH-Px in mice serum that were treated compared to those in the untreated group II (P˂0.001). The histopathology, DNA analysis showed marked improvement in spermatogenesis and DNA intact pattern in treated mice testis. Overall, the results demonstrated the ability of CAPE to improve spermatogenic cells. The data analysis indicated the possibility for the future use of CAPE as an inhibitory agent of infertility. Clinical trials and further studies are required to evaluate the definite medical effects of CAPE based on abundant experimental studies, with predictive future applications in human clinical trials.