ON TESTIS AND EPlDlDYMlS OF RATS - Pondicherry University ...

to Fig. 15b; Table 29 and Fig. 19a lo I'if I9b; 'l'ablc 32). Administralion of'1'CL)I)
along with vitamin E did not show any significant change in the activities of
superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase (Fig
12a to IZd, Table 26a to 26d; Fig. 16a to Fig. 16d; Table 30 and Fig. 20a to Fig. 2Od;
Table 33a to 33c) as well as the level of lipid peroxidation (Fig.13; Table 27; Fig. 17;
Table 30; and Fig. 21; Table 33a to 33c) in the crude homogenate, mitochondria1 and
microsome-rich fractions of testis. epididymal sperm and various regions of the
epididymis of rats as compared to the corresponding groups of control animals. The
results suggested that vitamin E could protect testis and epididymis against TCDDinduced
reactive oxygen species mediated toxicity.
5.3.7 Effect of co-administration of TCDD and vitamin E on antioxidant system
in kidney
Administration of TCDD along with vitamin E did not cause any significant
change In the production of superoxide anion. nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide in
the kidney of rats as was shown to decrease in the TCDD-treated rats at 100 ng dose
level (Fig. 22a to 22c; Table 34a). The levels of glutathione and a-tocopherol in the
kldney of rats treated with TCDD and vitamin E remained unchanged (Fig.23a to 23b;
'Table 34b). There were, however, no changes in the levels of antioxidants in TCDD
alone treated groups at lower doses such as I and I0 ng levels.
Co-administration of TCDD and vitamin E did not cause any significant
change in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and
glutathione peroxidase (Fig. 24a to 24d; Table 34c) as well as the level of lipid
peroxidation in the kidney of rats as compared to the corresponding groups of control
animals (Fig. 25; Table 34c). However, no significant changes were observed in the
animals administered with TCDD at 1 and 10 ng dose levels. Low dose of TCDD
were nor able to induce oxidative stress in kidney of rat thereby suggesting that thc
antioxidant mechanism is higher in kidney as well as the toxicity threshold is lower in
testis and epididymis than in kidney in terms of oxidative stress. The results