ارزیابی نقش تیمول در محافظت از دستگاه تولیدمثل متعاقب تورم بیضه خودایمن تجربی در موش‌های BALB/c

Autoimmune orchitis as a chronic inflammation leads to male infertility. This study was carried out to examine protective activity of thymol (TML) against experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO)-induced alterations in testicular histoarchitecture and epididymal sperms characteristics and in vitro fertilizing potential in mouse. In this experimental study, 36 adult male mice were randomly divided to six equal groups including untreated, TML (100 mgkg-1BW/day; orally for 5 weeks), antigen (100 µl; subcutaneously) and Bordetella pertussis (109 bacteria at the day of antigen injection and 48 hours later; intraperitoneally) control groups, EAO and EAO + TML. The EAO was induced through testicular homogenate plus complete Freund’s adjuvant plus B. pertussis injection. All animals were euthanized after 5 weeks and testicular histoarchitecture as well as epididymal sperms characteristics and in vitro fertilizing ability were analyzed. The EAO caused significant reductions in the seminiferous tubules diameter, germinal epithelium height and, quality and maturation along with severe testicular morphological alterations including spermatogenic cells maturation arrest, seminiferous tubules depletion and also multinuclear giant cells formation compared to control, TML, antigen and B. pertussis groups. Moreover, EAO resulted in epididymal sperms quantity, quality and fertilizing potential reduction as well as embryo development impairment. While, TML co-administration led to remarkable amelioration of EAO-induced reproductive disorders. These findings revealed that TML has repro-protective activity against EAO-evoked disorders in male mice reproductive system.