Effect of Endurance Exercise on Lipid Peroxidation Level and Total Antioxidant Capacity of Testicular Tissue in Adult Male Rats With Cadmium-induced Infertility

Background and Objectives: Cadmium (Cd) can induce lipid peroxidation, increase malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduce total oxidative capacity (TAC) in the testis by producing free radicals and, as a result, cause infertility. This study aims to determine the effect of a period of endurance exercise on MDA levels and TAC of testicular tissue in adult male rats with infertility induced by cadmium chloride. Methods: In this experimental study, 32 healthy adult male Wistar rats weighing 250±30 g and aged 12 weeks were used, which were randomly divided into four groups of control (n=8), exercise (n=8), Cd (n=8), and Cd+exercise (n=8). The endurance exercise program was presented at five sessions per week for 5 weeks. Data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 24 using one-way analysis of variance and by the Least Significant Difference post hoc test. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The MDA and TAC in the exercise group were increased significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05), indicating that moderate-intensity endurance exercise significantly increased the TAC and MDA of testicular tissue in Cd-induced infertility. Cd increased oxidative stress markers and reduced antioxidant enzymes. Moderate-intensity endurance exercise significantly increased the antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion: Given the effects of moderate-intensity endurance exercise in rats with Cd-induced infertility, it can be said that these exercises can make the body more resistant to oxidative stress products.