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Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive effect of atenolol on reproductive parameters in male Wistar rats.
Methods: Twelve male rats (110 - 130 g) were divided into control (distilled water) and atenolol-treated (1.43 mg/kg) groups (6 per group) for hormonal assay, andrological and histopathological studies. The animals were orally treated on daily basis for 50 days. Plasma testosterone levels were assayed using Enzyme-linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) and semen analysis was done microscopically. Histology of testes was also done. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at p=0.05.
Results: Treatment of rats with atenolol (1.43 mg/kg) caused significant (p<0.05) increment in testosterone level relative to control. Treatment of rats with atenolol (1.43 mg/kg) caused significant (p<0.05) reductions in progressive sperm motility and sperm count relative to their respective controls.
Conclusion: It can therefore be concluded that atenolol probably have deleterious effect on the reproductive functions in male rats.
Keywords: Atenolol, Testosterone, Sperm motility, Sperm counts, Rats.
Introduction
Atenolol has been widely used in humans during the last 3-4 decades to treat various cardiovascular pathologies and has been classically considered a safe drug without significant side effects [1].
Atenolol is a cardioselective beta adrenoreceptor blocking agent without intrinsic sympathomimetic activity. It has a markedly greater effect on cardiac than bronchial or vascular adrenoreceptors [2, 3] and reduces blood pressure mainly by reducing cardiac output, in contrast to the nonselective 3-blockers that reduce blood pressure mainly by decreasing the peripheral vascular resistance [4]. Atenolol mainly causes its hypotensive effect by decreasing heart rate and cardiac contractility in both humans and experimental animals [5].
Atenolol has been reported to have anxiolytic effect in human subjects [6]. It has also been reported to have antidepressant effect in mice [7]. Atenolol has been reported to cause decreased membrane fatty acid unsaturation and oxidative stress in heart and skeletal muscle mitochondria and improves immunity and behavior [8] in mice. It has also been reported that pretreatment of rats with atenolol ameliorated the acute hemodynamic changes and prevented ZD6126-induced increases in both troponin T and myocardial necrosis [9].
However, due to dearth of information from literature on the effect of atenolol on reproductive parameters in male rats, this study therefore aims at investigating the effect of this...