Molecular and structural evidence of the toxic effects of garlic and Citrullus colocynthis individually and in combination on the testis of male rats

Garlic and Citrullus colocynthis are medicinal plants that are widely used in herbal medicine. However, as they may be used as preventives for some diseases, they may represent side effects. However, their side effects on male reproduction have rarely been studied. The purpose of this study is to investigate the toxic effects and possible mechanism of consuming garlic and Citrullus colocynthis separately and in combination for 1 month on the testicles of normal rats. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups (n=7): 1. Control; 2. Garlic, which received 1 ml/100 g of bw of garlic extract; 3. C. colocynthis , which received 10 mg/kg of bw of C. colocynthis ; 4. Garlic+ C. colocynthis , which received 1 ml/100 g of bw of garlic extract and 10 mg/kg of bw of C. colocynthis. After 30-days of experiment, body & testis weight, endogenous hormone levels and sperm count were determined. In addition, apoptosis and oxidative stress markers were identified. The results showed that the administration of garlic and C. colocynthis separately and in combination decreased testis weight, sperm count and the level of testosterone and luteinizing hormones in rats. In addition, oxidative stress markers, expression of mRNAs for NADPH oxidase-4 (Nox-4) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and of caspase-3 immunoexpression were all increased in the testis. It seems that consuming garlic and C. colocynthis separately and in combination for 1 month causes testicular injury in rats and dosage of usage should be taken into account for preventive purposes.