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Antioxidant Defense of Betaine Against Oxidative Stress Induced by Ethanol in the Rat Testes

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Abstract

Oxidative stress is one of the factors associated with decline in fertility and betaine has been shown to bear antioxidant and methyl donor properties in our recent studies. Thus, we designed the present study to examine antioxidant and methyl donor abilities of betaine in oxidative stress induced by ethanol in the rat testes. The adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four experimental groups and treated daily for 2 months as follows: control, ethanol (4 g/kg, orally), betaine (1.5 % of total diet, orally), and betaine plus ethanol (betaine, 1.5 % of total diet and after 120 min, ethanol 4 g/kg). Sperm motility and concentration significantly increased in betaine group when compared to the ethanol–treated rats. The main antioxidant enzyme (GPx) activity significantly increased (in order compensatory) in ethanol-treated rats when compared to betaine group while, antiperoxidative enzyme (CAT) activity significantly increased in betaine plus ethanol group as compared to ethanol-treated rats. Total homocysteine (tHcy) and TBARS concentration (as a lipid peroxidation marker) also significantly decreased in betaine and betaine plus ethanol groups as compared to ethanol-treated rats. Overall, methyl donor and antioxidant properties of betaine are promising and reduce the elevated tHcy and TBARS concentrations in betaine plus ethanol group. Therefore, betaine might be used as a potential therapy in hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress induced by ethanol in alcoholism.

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Acknowledgment

This research was financially supported by School of Veterinary Medicine-Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. We are most grateful to Saeedeh Ahmadi for the kind technical assistance; also like to thank M. Shoaei and R. Shirazi (the member and manager of Aryadalman Company, Tehran, Iran) for providing betaine (Betafine®).

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  1. Division of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, P. O. Box 465, Khorram Abad, Iran

    Masoud Alirezaei

  2. Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, 71345, Shiraz, Iran

    Gholamali Jelodar & Zeynab Ghayemi

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  1. Masoud Alirezaei
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  2. Gholamali Jelodar
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Correspondence to Masoud Alirezaei.

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Alirezaei, M., Jelodar, G. & Ghayemi, Z. Antioxidant Defense of Betaine Against Oxidative Stress Induced by Ethanol in the Rat Testes. Int J Pept Res Ther 18, 239–247 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10989-012-9297-9

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