Hormonal and generative functions of testes of adult rats stressed at puberty age on the background of the application of gamma-aminobutyric acid agonist and vitamin E

Abstract

Adolescence is the last critical period of the development of the reproductive and adaptive systems, characterized by increased sensitivity to stress factors. During this period, hormonal imbalances associated with stress can negatively affect adult reproductive parameters. The aim: to study the long-term reproductive consequences of using the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist phenibut or vitamin E during pubertal stress. Material and methods. The animals were subjected to immobilization stress daily from the 30th to the
45th day of postnatal life, placing them in cylinders equipped with breathing holes. Some animals received phenibut orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w. (PJSC «Monpharm», Ukraine) in the form of a suspension in Dorfman gel or an oil solution of vitamin E at a dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. (LLC «Multisprey», Ukraine) 30 min before the onset of stress. The study was conducted on sexually mature rats aged 6 months. Results. In adult rats that received phenibut during pubertal stress, the number of sperm in the epididymis decreased by 21% compared to stressed rats. Compared to the control group, these animals had a tendency to increase the number of immobile sperm and a significant decrease in the number of their normal forms. Such changes in spermogram parameters occurred against the background of a decrease in testosterone levels by 1.8 and 2.1 times and an increase in the content of malondialdehyde by 38% and 64% compared to control andstressed animals, respectively. The use of vitamin E against the background of pubertal stress did not affect the studied parameters, with the exception of a significant decrease in the number of pathological forms of sperm compared to both stressed and control rats. Thus, activation of the GABA-ergic system by phenibut during stress in puberty causes long-term negative effects on testicular function. This indicates the risk of side effects in adolescents when using phenibut to prevent stress and anxiety-neurotic states. Oral administration of vitamin E before stress sessions in pubertal rats slightly improved the qualitative parameters of the spermogram of adult animals. Conclusion. Activation of the GABAergic system by phenibut before stress sessions worsens the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the spermogram in adulthood, reduces the level of testosterone in serum and increases oxidative stress in the gonads compared to stressed
animals. This indicates the risk of side effects when using phenibut in adolescents to prevent stress and anxiety-neurotic states. Oral administration of vitamin E before stress sessions in pubertal rats improved
the qualitative parameters of the spermogram of adult animals, reducing the percentage of pathological forms of spermatozoa compared to both the control and the stress groups.