Protective Effect of L-carnitine against Cefquinome Sulfate Induced Testicular Damage and Oxidative Stress in Male Albino Rats

The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of L-carnitine (LC) against possible deleterious effects of cefquinome sulfate (CS) on antioxidant capacity, fertility parameters and histopathological findings of reproductive organs in male rats. Therefore, seventy two mature male rats were equally divided into four equal groups as following: The control group of rats was administered two s.c. doses of physiological saline (vehicle of other drugs) (2ml/kg b.wt. once daily for 5 successive days and 2ml/kg b.wt. once daily for 8 successive weeks), the second group was s.c. administered LC (200 mg/kg b.wt. once daily for 8 successive weeks), the third group was s.c. administered CS (50 mg/kg b.wt. once daily for 5 successive days) and the fourth group was s.c. administered CS concomitantly with LC by the same doses. The obtained results showed that administration of CS induced a significant (P≤ 0.05) increase in serum level of Malondialdehyde (MDA) and total sperm abnormalities with significant (P≤ 0.05) decrease in serum level of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), sperm motility and total sperm count. Moreover, CS induced histopathological changes in tissues of testes and epididymis. Conversely, administration of LC concomitantly with CS ameliorates all the previous antioxidant, fertility and histopathological alterations induced by CS. It could be concluded that CS induced some undesired effects on antioxidant activity, fertility parameters and histopathological findings which could be ameliorated by LC in male albino rats.