EFFECT OF VITAMIN D₃ (CHOLECALCIFEROL) SUPPLEMENTATION ON MSG-INDUCED SPERM FUNCTION IMPAIRMENT IN RATS
Abstract
The continuous desire for western diet and work nature has increasing exposure to the widely used food enhancer, monosodium glutamate which had been reported to impaired sperm qualities and functions. This study was designed to evaluate the possible protective effect of Vitamin D3 supplementation on the sperm qualities and functions of rats treated with monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of n=10n=10 as follow: control group, MSG-only group (150 mg/kg), vitamin D3-only group (500 IU/kg), and a co-treatment group receiving both MSG (150 mg/kg) and vitamin D3 (500 IU/kg). After 30 days of daily oral administration, the epididymal sperm was used to assess for sperm qualities: motility, viability, concentration and morphology and functions: lactate and pyruvate concentration, lactate/pyruvate ratio, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), transmembrane pump: Na+/K+, Ca2+2+ ATPase activities, the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and epididymal histology. The data gotten from the study were analysed using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test for pairwise comparison was set at p=0.05p=0.05.
The supplementation of vitamin D3 to the MSG treated rats significantly increased the paired epididymal weight (p=0.004p=0.004), epididymal volume (p=0.008p=0.008), sperm motility (p=0.0001p=0.0001), viability (p=0.0027p=0.0027), epididymal sperm pyruvate concentration (p=0.0021p=0.0021), activities of the sperm Na+/K+ ATPase (p=0.0001p=0.0001) and Ca2+2+ ATPase (p=0.0001p=0.0001) but significantly reduced the number of sperm cell with tailless head (p=0.0007p=0.0007) and curved tail (p=0.0023p=0.0023) deformities, epididymal sperm lactate concentration (p=0.0001p=0.0001), lactate/pyruvate ratio (p=0.0001p=0.0001), LDH activities (p=0.0006p=0.0006) and the sperm DFI (p=0.0001p=0.0001) and prevent the condensation of the spermatozoa and reduction of the epididymal tubule when compared to the MSG-only treated rats, thus preserving the epididymal integrity.
These findings thus support the hypothesis that vitamin D3 supplementation offers protective effects against MSG-induced sperm damage in rats. Conclusively, vitamin D3 may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for preserving the male germ cells following dietary MSG exposure.
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