Transient effect of single dose exposure of Nigerian Bonny-light crude oil on testicular steroidogenesis in Wistar rats is accompanied by oxidative stress

Abstract

The folkloric use of Nigerian Bonny-light crude oil (BLCO) in Niger Delta area of Nigeria is a common practice. There is increasing experimental evidence portending the adverse effects of BLCO an environmental toxicant on testicular function. We investigated the effects of single dose of BLCO (800 mg/kg body weight) on the activities of steroidogenic and antioxidant enzymes such as serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone, 3 β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (3 β-HSD), 17 β-hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (17 β-HSD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), glutathione reduced (GSH) and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein, in testes of rats. There was a sequential reduction in the concentration of steroid hormones and activities of steroidogenic enzymes with a concomitant decrease in levels of StAR protein, followed by a parallel increase in antioxidant enzyme activities and levels of LPO. These findings revealed inhibitory effects of BLCO on testicular steroidogenesis and the possible role of oxidative stress in testicular dysfunction observed in this study.

• Bonny-light crude oil
• oxidative stress
• rats
• steroidogenesis
• testes

Acknowledgements

We thank the Staff of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, India, for their assistance towards this research. We acknowledge the Research Training for Developing Country Scientist (RTFDCS) fellowship awarded to Ebokaiwe Azubuike Peter.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.