Effect of Nano Selenium on Cadmium Chloride-Induced Infertility in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element with well-documented health benefits, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and anticarcinogenic properties. Selenium nanoparticles (nano-Se) represent an advanced Se delivery system characterized by superior bioavailability and a reduced risk of Se-related toxicity. This study investigates the protective efficacy of nano-Se against cadmium chloride (CdCl₂)-induced infertility in adult male Wistar rats. The experimental design involved random allocation of the rats into nine groups: a healthy control group, a vehicle control group, three groups receiving nano-Se alone at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg b.w./day, a group exposed to CdCl₂ to induce infertility, and three CdCl₂-exposed groups treated with nano-Se. After 30 days of treatment, the animals were euthanized for biochemical and histopathological assessments. The findings revealed that nano-Se administration ameliorated the detrimental effects of treatment CdCl₂ on serum testosterone levels. Additionally, nano-Se significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels and enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes in testicular homogenates. Histological analyses further demonstrated that nano-Se preserved the structural integrity of testicular tissue in the CdCl₂-induced fertility model. Nano-Se modulated apoptotic pathways, as evidenced by the suppression of Bax expression and upregulation of Bcl₂ expression in testicular tissue. Furthermore, nano-Se mitigated the overexpression of aquaporin-9 in CdCl₂-exposed rats. Collectively, these results provide robust biochemical, histological, and biochemical evidence supporting the potential therapeutic utility of nano-Se in mitigating testicular dysfunction.