Avaliação da atividade antioxidante da polpa e do óleo do açaí da Mata Atlântica (Euterpe edulis) sobre a morfofisiologia da célula de Leydig após a administração aguda de cloreto de cádmio

Abstract

The presence of high concentrations of heavy metals in the environment is today a global problem because these substances generate toxicity in many biological functions, and the enzymatic metabolism is potentially sensitive to these elements. In this project, cadmium was chosen as the oxidizing agent, as the testes are organs that suffer from its bioaccumulation. Studies describe morphological and biochemical alterations in mammalian testes, affecting the production of testosterone by Leydig cells. Several enzymes are related to the synthesis of androgens from cholesterol, such as StAR and P450scc. In this study, the use of oil and pulp from the Atlantic Forest açaí, Euterpe edulis, was proposed as antioxidant agents, in order to mitigate the harmful effects of cadmium on Leydig cells and, consequently, on the spermatogenic process. The results, such as the unaltered tubular morphometric and histopathological parameters of the animals treated with oil, suggest that the administration of this treatment was not able to induce testicular toxicity. However, the decrease in the proportion of normal seminiferous tubules, combined with morphological and stereological changes such as the increase in diameter, nuclear and cytoplasmic volume of Leydig cells in animals treated with E. edulis pulp, suggest induction of damage to the testicular parenchyma, possibly induced by an excess of anthocyanins, which, in turn, causes the so-called reducing stress. However, ultrastructural and cell marker analyzes are necessary, such as those of cell death and proliferation, to determine the physiological changes suffered by Leydig cells, as well as to elucidate the mechanisms of action of the treatments proposed in the testicular parenchyma.