The Effect of Zinc Supplement (Zn) on Testicular Function in Microgravity

Subject Areas : Journal of Animal Biology

Mehdi Soleimani Damabi ¹ , Amir Khoshvaghti ² , Amir Nezami-Asl ³

1 - Department of Biology, Parand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Parand, Iran
2 - Department of Science, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Aerospace and Subsurface Medicine, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Science, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Aerospace and Subsurface Medicine, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2018-02-19 Accepted : 2018-02-19 Published : 2017-11-22

Keywords: Modeling, Zinc, sperm, Rat, Weightlessness,

Abstract :

Spaceflight experiments in microgravity environments revealed that spaceflight affected the physiology of the testis. We used the tail-suspension model to simulate microgravity and investigated its effect on tissue and function of the testis in sexually mature male rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were assigned to four groups (N =6). Microgravity simulation was done by the tail hanging method; control 1) no tail traction, and tail suspension, control 2) no simulating micro angiitis just the zinc prescription and zinc was soluble in water. Groups include: 1) Just simulated microgravity, Group 2: Simulated microgravity and prescription zinc. Controls: 1: without any interventionist, 2: just used zinc. Semen, serum, and seminal plasma zinc were analyzed. LH and FSH were measured. Sample prepared from the epididymis of rats and Spermogram was performed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software. The effect of microgravity on testosterone, LH, FSH, was significantly low in oligospermia, baseline sperm the concentration, total sperm count, sperm motility, length and weight of the testicles, sperm with normal morphology. FSH, LH zinc treated groups were not significantly different from other groups. The negative effects on sperm parameters were significantly reduced.Dietary restriction of zinc can affect on microgravity testicular function adversely. The effect of zinc deficiency can prevent negative effects on sperm parameters.

References:

1.  Amann R.P., Deaver D.R., Zirkin B.R., Grills G.S., Sapp W.J., Veeramachaneni D.N., 1992. Effects of microgravity or simulated launch on testicular function in rats. Journal of Applied Physiology, 73(2):174S-185S.


2. Chidananda S., Shubhashish S., Adaikkappan P., Prabakaran R., Bindu S., Vani R., 2008. Simulated microgravity activates apoptosis and NF-Κb in mice Testis. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 313(1-2): 71-78.


3. Cruz K., Oliveira A., Marreiro N., 2015. Antioxidant role of zinc in diabetes mellitus. World Journal of Diabetes, 6(2): 333-337.


4. Ghayumi SH., Khoshvaghti A., NurMohammadi A., 2016.The effect of microgravity model (hind limb suspension) on the levels of testosterone and LH in rats. Ebnesina-IRIAF Health Administration, 18(1) 54: 4-11.


5. Hadley J., Hall J., O'Brien A., Ball R., 1992. Effects of a simulated microgravity model on cell structure and function in rat testis and epididymis. Journal of Applied Physiology,  72: 748-759.


6. Khoshvaghti A., Nezami Asl A., Hashemian S., Ebadi A., Eslami R., Momenzade M., 2014. Supplementary Zinc in Flight Against Microgravity Induced Osteoporosis. Aviation and Space Environmental Medicine, 85(3): 372-540.


7. Maham H., Escott-stump S., 2008. Krauses food and nutrition therapy. Pennsylvania: Saunders Co, pp:764-809.


8. Maret W., Vallee BL., 1998. Thiolate ligands in metallothionein confer redox activity on zinc clusters. Proceeding of Natural Academy of Science USA, 95: 3478-3482.


9. Morey-Holton E., Globus R., 2002. Hindlimb unloading rodent model: technical aspects. Journal of Applied Physiology, 92(4): 1367-1377.


10. Philpott D., Sapp W., Williams C., Stevenson J., Black S., Corbett R., 1985. Reduction of the spermatogonial population in rat testes flown on Space Lab-3. Physiologist , 28(6): S211-212.


11. Plakhuta-Plakutina G., Serova L., Dreval A., Tarabrin S., 1976. Effect of 22-dayspace flight factors on the state of the sex glands and reproductive capacity ofrats. Kosm Biol Aviakosm Medicine, 10(5): 40-47.


12. Prasad A., Mantzoros C., Beck F., Hess J., Brewer G ., 1996. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition Burbank, Los Angeles County, California, 12(5): 344-348.


13. Ronca A., Baker E., Bavendam T., Beck K., Miller V., Tash J. , 2014. Effects of sex and gender on adaptations to space: reproductive health. Journal of Women's Health.Larchmt, 23(11): 967-974.


14. Sapp W., Philpott D., Williams C., Kato K., Stevenson J., Vasquez M., Serova L., 1990. Effects of spaceflight on the spermatogonial population of rat seminiferous epithelium. FASEB J, 4:102-104.


15. Smith S., Heer M., Wang Z., Huntoon C., Zwart S., 2012. Long-duration space flight and bed rest effects on testosterone and other steroids. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 97:270-278.


16. Tou J., Ronca A., Grindeland R., Wade C., 2002. Models to study gravitational biology of Mammalian reproduction. Biological Reproduction, 67(6):1681-1687.


17. Vallee BL., Falchuk KF., 1993.The biochemical basis of zinc physiology. Physiological Review, 73: 79-118.


18. Wakayama S., Kawahara Y., Li C., Yamagata K., Yuge L., Wakayama T., 2009. Detrimental effects of microgravity on mouse preimplantation development in vitro. PLoS One, 254(8): e6753.


19. Wang Y., An L, Jiang Y., Hang H., 2011. Effects of simulated microgravity on embryonic stem cells. PLoS One, 6(12): e29214.


20. Yu Z., Chen J., Shou P., Feng L., 2014. Effects of micronutrients on the reproduction of infertility rat model induced by adenine. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 7(9): 2754-276.