Rosmarinic Acid Alleviated Cyclophosphamide-Induced Gonadal Toxicity in Adult Male Rats

Abstract Background/Aim: This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of rosmarinic acid (RA) against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced gonadal toxicity in male Wistar Albino rats. Specifically, the research focused on the modulation of apoptotic pathways, with an emphasis on Bax protein expression, and utilized bioinformatic analyses to elucidate the key molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways underlying the observed effects. Materials and Methods: The experimental design consisted of four groups: Control (administered saline), RA (administered rosmarinic acid), CP (administered cyclophosphamide), and RA+CP (administered a combination of rosmarinic acid and cyclophosphamide). Following a 14-day treatment period, body weight, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and Bax protein expression in testicular tissue were evaluated. Additionally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network influenced by RA and CP was constructed using STITCH and subsequently analyzed in Cytoscape. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to identify key molecular pathways associated with Bax regulation, with an emphasis on clusters exhibiting significant associations (p