Protective effects of catechin and quercetin on antioxidant status, lipid peroxidation and testis-histoarchitecture induced by chlorpyrifos in male rats

Mature male Wistar rats were given chlorpyrifos (5.4 mg/kg, 1/25 of the oral LD50), catechin (20 mg/kg),quercetin (20 mg/kg), catechin plus chlorpyrifos, and quercetin plus chlorpyrifos daily via gavage for four weeks. No statistical differences were found in the catechin-only and quercetin-only groups compared with the control group. By the end of the fourth week, chlorpyrifos alone increased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), while decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities compared with the control group in rat testis tissues. In the catechin-plus-chlorpyrifos and quercetin-plus-chlorpyrifos groups, there were statistically significantly decreased MDA levels, SOD and CAT activities, while increased GPx and GST activities compared with the chlorpyrifos-only group. Light microscopic analyses revealed that chlorpyrifos-only induced numerous histopathological changes in the testis tissues. Milder pathological alterations were observed in rats catechin-plus-chlorpyrifos, and quercetin-plus-chlorpyrifos. Thus, it appears that catechin and quercetin ameliorate chlorpyrifos induced toxicity except histopathological changes in rat testis tissues.

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► Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphate (OP) insecticide.
► CPF causes oxidative stress and histopathological changes testis tissues just as the other OPs.
► Catechin and quercetin are members of the flavonoid family and they have antioxidative effects.
► Catechin and quercetin decreased chlorpyrifos-induced oxidative stress in rat testis tissues.