EFFECT OF VITAMIN E ON SEXUAL EFFICIENCY IN MALE RATS TREATED WITH CADMIUM

To examine the possible protective role of vitamin ‘E’ 500 mg/kg diet as antioxidant against cadmium induced oxidative stress, 20 male albino rats (3-4 months old) were exposed during 2 months to oral intake of cadmium 25 mg/L (as cadmium chloride) in drinking water, cadmium for 2 months associated with vitamin E (500 mg/kg diet) given at the second month, cadmium along with vitamin E for 2 months, or has been left as a control group. The results showed that cadmium produced no changes in body weight, testicular or prostatic weights. Epididymis and seminal vesicle weights with sperm count and the percentage of live sperms were decreased significantly, with an increased in the percentage of dead and morphologically abnormal sperms. Vitamin E, on the other hand, increased the percentage of live sperm and decreased the percentage of dead and morphologically abnormal sperm caused by cadmium. It is concluded that, vitamin E supplementation decreased the cadmium effect particularly when it is administered along with cadmium from the first day of experiment.