Reproductive Toxicity of Sodium Nitrite and Its Modulation by Ascorbic Acid as An Antioxidant in Male Mice

Document Type : Original Article

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Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Egypt.

Abstract

Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) is a main food preservative and colorant in the food industry. Besides the variety of industrial and medicinal applications, toxicity for humans and animals is well documented after nitrite overexposure. This study aimed to investigate the reproductive toxicity of sodium nitrite and its modulation by ascorbic acid as an antioxidant in mice. Sixty adult male albino mice (age 10 weeks) were used in the present study and divided into six groups. Gp(I) used as control group. Gp(II) received 100 mg/kg/day of ascorbic acid. Gp(III & IV) were received (16 and 32 mg/kg/day) sodium nitrite. Gp(V and VI) received (16 and 32 mg/kg/day) sodium nitrite and 100 mg ascorbic acid/kg/day. All animals were treated orally by gastric intubation for 35 days.  The study demonstrated that ascorbic acid ameliorated sodium nitrite alterations in reproductive performance, gonadosomatic index (GSI), testicular weight, sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology and repairing the recorded histopathological lesions in the testis tissues. It could be concluded that ascorbic acid treatment has ameliorative effects against sodium nitrite reproductive toxicity

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