The Effects of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Extract Encapsulated by Bio-Polymeric Alginate-Chitosan Nanoparticles on Testicular Histopathology and Histomorphometry of Mice Following LPS-Induced Acute Endotoxemia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

2 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

Endotoxemia is a significant cause of mortality and abnormalities in animals, particularly neonates, within the first 24 hours of life. It is triggered by the release of lipopolysaccharide from the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria into the bloodstream. This study aimed to investigate the impact of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in its simple form and as nanoparticles on the histopathological changes in the testes of NMRI mice induced by endotoxemia. Sixteen male mice were divided into four experimental groups. The control group received no treatment, while the other three groups were induced with acute endotoxemia by intraperitoneal injection of 6750 µg/kg of lipopolysaccharide. Group 3 received EGCG treatment (25 mg/kg) and group 4 received nano-EGCG treatment (25 mg/kg) intra-peritoneally once daily for 28 days. Evaluation of testicular tissue parameters, including spermatogenesis percentage, Johnsen's score, and meiotic index, showed improvement in the EGCG-treated groups, with no significant difference between the simple and nano forms. In conclusion, EGCG administration alleviates the adverse effects of acute endotoxemia on testicular tissue, with no significant difference observed between encapsulated and unencapsulated EGCG.

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