Protective Effects of Taurine Against 5-Fluorouracil Induced Testicular Oxidative Toxicity in Male Wistar Rats

Background: Chemotherapy involves the use of chemical agents to kill cancer cells, but it can also harm healthy, rapidly growing cells in the body. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) induces tissue damage through oxidative stress and impaired male reproductive activity. The use of antioxidants appears to mitigate the harmful effects caused by 5-FU. Objectives: This study evaluated the potential protective effects of taurine (TAU) against 5-FU-induced testicular toxicity in male rats. Methods: Thirty-five healthy adult male Wistar rats (200 - 250 g, 6 - 8 weeks old) were randomly divided into five groups: Control, 20 mg/kg 5-FU, and 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of TAU co-administered with 20 mg/kg 5-FU. Treatments were administered intraperitoneally for 14 consecutive days. Serum endocrinological analyses, as well as testicular biochemical and histomorphometric studies, were performed on the different groups. Results: Testis and epididymis weights significantly decreased (P < 0.001) in male rats treated with 5-FU. Serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone (T4) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in 5-FU-treated rats. Testicular tissue of 5-FU-treated rats exhibited significantly reduced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (P < 0.001) and increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.001). Co-administration of TAU significantly improved germinal epithelium height (GEH) and seminiferous tubule diameter (STD) (P < 0.001) in 5-FU-treated rats. Additionally, TAU co-administration significantly improved oxidative status and reproductive parameters in 5-FU-treated rats. Conclusions: These findings suggest that TAU has the potential to prevent 5-FU-induced testicular oxidative toxicity and restore suppressed reproductive parameters in male rats.