ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cadmium is a potential environmental pollutant with worldwide health problems. Many Ficus species are reported to have an extensive diversity of traditional uses, among them the treatment of reproductive toxicity. OBJECTIVES: This study set out to evaluate the effect of Ficus natalensis extract on the testicular impairments induced by cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and investigated the potential mechanisms associated with its treatment. METHODS: Thus, 40 male albino rats were categorized into 4 groups (n = 10); group I (control), group II (cadmium-treated group) orally received 5 mg/kg/day CdCl2 for one month, group III (cadmium + Ficus natalensis extract) orally received 5 mg/kg/day CdCl2 for one month plus 200 mg/kg/day Ficus natalensis extract for another month, and group IV (cadmium + reference drug (mesterolone) orally received 5 mg/kg/day CdCl2 for one month plus 4.16 mg/kg/day mesterolone for another month. RESULTS: At the end of experiment, CdCl2 administration markedly induced histological and histo-morphometric changes with a substantial (p < 0.05) decrease in the sperm count, sperm motility, serum TAC, serum testosterone, downregulation in the mRNA expression levels of testicular 17ß-HSD and StAR, in addition to a significant increase in serum TNF-α and testicular MDA level compared to the control group. Conversely, the treatment with Ficus natalensis methanolic extract as well as the reference drug significantly ameliorated the above-mentioned adverse effects induced by CdCl2. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that Ficus natalensis extract can attenuate the CdCl2-induced testicular impairments via inhibiting the oxidative cell damage and inflammation that contributed to CdCl2 toxicity.