RESUMO
Background: Due to the increased use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), the risks of their reprotoxic effect arise. This study anticipated examining the potential protective effects of GEO (geranium essential oil) components screened via GC/MS analysis against the reprotoxic impacts of TiO2 NPs on male rats. Methods: Thirty-two adult male rats were randomly assigned to four groups: control, GEO (75 mg/kg bwt/orally/day/60 days), TiO2 NPs (100 ppm/rat/IP/day/60 days), and TiO2 NPs + GEO. After 60 days, hormonal assay, semen appraisal, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes, testis and prostate morphometry, and the steroidogenesis-related genes' mRNA expressions were assessed. Results: The TEM and DLS results demonstrated that synthesized TiO2 NPs are spherical with minimal aggregations polydispersed and varying in size from 50 to 100 nm. TiO2 NPs IP injection-induced sperm abnormalities decreased the percent of motile sperms in the sperm count, reduced sex hormone levels, altered the testicular oxidant/antioxidant status and mRNA expression of steroid-related genes, and induced architectural alterations in testicular, epididymal, and prostate gland tissues. GEO significantly rescued the TiO2 NPs-altered spermiogram, sex hormones, and antioxidant capacity, restored the tissue architectures, and enhanced steroidogenesis-related gene mRNA expression. Conclusions: These findings may significantly contribute to developing combinatorial treatments for infertility associated with various environmental and industrial xenobiotic exposures.