Protective effect of magnesium oxide nanoparticles against experimental varicocele-induced testicular damage in rats

Magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) are currently utilized in antacid preparations, detoxifying agents, biomolecular detection, and diagnostics. These nanoparticles have been shown to attenuate apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress.

This study aimed to assess the impact of MgO-NPs on varicocele-related testicular damage in adult Wistar rats.

Animals were randomly assigned to nine groups: normal control, sham-operated, three different doses of MgO-NPs alone (1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg b.w./day, administered intragastrically), varicocele-induced control, and varicocele-induced rats treated with MgO-NPs. Thirty days post-treatment, blood and testicular tissue samples were collected for sperm profiling, biochemical assays, and histopathological evaluations. Sperm profiling included assessments of sperm abnormalities, total sperm count, motility, and viability. Biochemical analyses measured activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Histopathological evaluation was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining of testicular tissue and immunohistochemical analysis of aquaporin-9 (AQP₉) expression.

Administration of these NPs remarkably improved total sperm viability, count, and motility in varicocele-induced rats. Furthermore, treatment significantly elevated antioxidant status, reduced MDA levels, attenuated AQP₉ immunoreactivity in testicular tissue, and restored architecture of testicular tissue.

These findings suggest that MgO-NPs possess anti-infertility potential and may have clinical applications in the treatment of varicocele-related disorders.