Protective effects of apigenin against acrylonitrile-induced subchronic sperm injury in rats

•Apigenin (AP) is an abundant dietary flavonoid and widely distributed in fruits and vegetables.•AP reduces lipid peroxidation caused by acrylonitrile, and has a protective effect on testicular cells.•The antioxidant effect of AP has improved sperm motility and increased sperm density.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of apigenin (AP), a flavonoid found in plants, against acrylonitrile (ACN)-induced subchronic sperm and testes injury in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: a control group (corn oil), an ACN group (ACN 50 mg kg−1), an ACN + AP1 group (ACN + AP 234 mg kg−1), and an ACN + AP2 group (ACN + AP 468 mg kg−1). The ACN + AP group received AP by gavage after treatment with 50 mg kg−1 ACN for 30 min, whereas the rats in the control group were given an equivalent volume of corn oil. The gavage was conducted 6 days per week for 12 weeks. The results showed that AP increased the sperm concentration, motility, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) (P < 0.05), which were reduced by ACN. Conversely, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly decreased by AP (P < 0.05). AP improved the damage of the ultrastructure of sperm caused by ACN. AP reduced the pathological injuries and spermatogenic cell apoptosis caused by ACN in rat testes. AP also increased glutathione peroxidase activity and decreased MDA content. In conclusion, AP reduces ACN-induced decreasing sperm quality by inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress.