Atorvastatin and Zinc Combination Mitigates High Fat Diet-Induced Biochemical and Histopathological Changes in the Testis of Male Albino Rat

Hyperlipidemia is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of infertility.  Atorvastatin (AT) is the first line of treatment for dyslipidemias having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and testicular protective effects. However, decreased testosterone and sperm quality are reported. Zinc is an essential trace element for the oxidant defense system, DNA replication, protein synthesis, spermatogenesis, and steroidogenesis. These are contradictory data regarding AT impacts on the testis. This study aims to assess the possible protective effects of AT and Zinc solely or combined in HFD-induced testicular injury.




            Forty male albino rats were allocated into five groups: control group, group (H) received HFD, group (HA); received HFD and AT, group (HZ); received HFD and Zinc, group (HAZ); received HFD, AT and Zinc for 8 weeks. Administration of AT and Zinc together or separately significantly improves body and testicular weights together with the significant recovery in biochemical and hormonal assessment. Group (H) showed disorganized atrophic seminiferous tubules with losses, thickness reduction and focal separation of spermatogenic epithelium. Scarce spermatozoa, hyalinized material and vacuolations appeared in the lumina. Groups (HZ) and (HAZ) showed more improvement in the histological architecture. Moreover, HAZ rats demonstrated the normal distribution of collagen fibers and strong positive PCNA immunoreactivity and that was confirmed morphometrically. HFD exhibited deleterious functional and structural alterations in the testes of male albino rats. AT alone was proved to have controversial effects on the testicular histological structure. These alterations could be attributed mainly to HFD ± AT. Accordingly, I highly recommended the concomitant administration of Zinc with AT to alleviate these deleterious changes.