The role of free radicals in the pathophysiology of acute testicular cadmium intoxication.

Twentv-four male Wistar stı-ain rats esere in-je•ted i mglml nf cadmiunı t.hloride lrrt-iaperitnırealiy for 21 clays and 20 male rats were considered as controls. At the end of 21 clays all nıts were sacrified tn determine antioxidant enzyme (su-peroxide dismutase, catalase and glutathion pe-roxidase) activities and malondialdehide levels of. testis (MDA). Testis cadmium levels wc're de-termined hy atomic absoıption spectrophotomeley, The histopathological changes in the testis WC1*(' also noted. In the cadmium-treated group. the an-tioxidant enzyme activities and the MDA levels were found to be increased when uompared with control group. There was a .vtatistically significant dıf-ference between two groups (p<0.05). All the cad-mium-treated rats showed pathological testicular al: terations. Our results suggested that peroxidative damage and lipoperoxidation might be ı-esponsible for the physiopathology of cadmium-induced tes-ticular damage.