TY - JOUR T1 - A potential molecular mechanism and biochemical alterations associated with bromuconazole-induced testicular toxicity in rats JF - AJMS JO - Arabian journal of medical sciences SP - 20 LP - 24 M3 - 10.5455/ajms.17 VL - 2 IS - 1 AU - Abd Alla Mokhbatly AU - Abdelrahman Aburawash AU - Emad Ghazi AU - Wael Goda AU - Zizy I. Elbialy AU - Samah S. Abou-Asa AU - Mohammed A. El-Magd AU - Ibrahim Elesh AU - Doaa H. Abdelhady Y1 - 2019 UR - http://www.ajms.tk/?mno=18484 N2 - Background: Bromuconazole is a widely used triazole pesticide which is toxic not only to target fungi but also to animals and human. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the harmful effects of prolonged administration of bromuconazole fungicide-induced testicular toxicity in male rats. Methods: Rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups (10 rats per group) as following: group 1 (G1), the control group were given distilled water; G2 and G3 were orally administrated bromuconazole [at doses of 1/10 the oral LD50 = 32.8 mg /kg body weight (bw) and lowest relevant oral dose of no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) = 13.8 mg /kg bw, respectively] by stomach gavage; and G4 and G5 were topically treated with bromuconazole (at doses of 1/10 dermal LD50 = 200 mg /kg bw and dermal NOAEL = 84 mg/kg bw, respectively). Results: Among the four doses only high oral dose (G2) showed a deteriorated blood picture. However, the four treated groups (G2-G5) showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol and triglyceride, but no significant effect on other lipid profile parameters (high and low density lipoproteins). Moreover, administration of bromuconazole in G2-G4 resulted in a significant declined serum levels of testosterone and estradiol. Bromuconazole treatment except in G5 also induced testicular oxidative stress as revealed by a significant elevation in malondialdehyde (MDA) level and a significant reduction in superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in testis. In these groups, bromuconazole also caused a decrease in relative testis and epididymis weights and degenerative changes in seminiferous tubules. At the mRNA level, bromuconazole down-regulated mRNA expression of the two steroidogenesis related genes Cyp19A1 and Cyp17A1 in testis. Overall, the oral route showed higher testicular toxicity than the dermal route and all effects were dose-dependent. Conclusion: These data suggest that bromuconazole considered as one of the male reproductive toxicants. ER -