The College of Pharmacy discussed the PhD dissertation entitled “Comparative Protective Effects of Fimasartan, Candesartan and Omega-3 Against Cisplatin-Induced Testicular Toxicity in Male Rats: Involvement of Oxidative Stress, Inflammatory & Apoptotic Pathways” by the student Victoria Saad Kareem and the supervisor, Assistant Professor Dr. Ali Faris Hassan, at the Pharmacology and Toxicology Department.
The study aimed to investigate the comparative protective effects of fimasartan, candesartan, and omega-3 against cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity by evaluating their roles in attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, as well as preserving testicular hormonal function and histological architecture.
The study included 42 male Wistar rats, which were randomly allocated into seven experimental groups, including a control group, a cisplatin-treated group, and various treatment groups receiving fimasartan, candesartan, and omega-3 according to the experimental design. A range of biochemical and hormonal parameters associated with testicular function were evaluated, in addition to histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations, to assess the extent of cisplatin-induced testicular injury and the potential protective effects of the investigated treatments.
The results showed that cisplatin induced marked testicular toxicity, characterized by increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, accompanied by a significant reduction in sex hormone levels and pronounced histopathological alterations in testicular tissue. Treatment with fimasartan, candesartan, and omega-3 significantly attenuated these adverse changes and improved the biochemical, hormonal, and histopathological parameters to varying degrees. Notably, fimasartan exhibited superior protective efficacy compared with candesartan in mitigating cisplatin-induced testicular toxicity.
The study recommended further clinical and molecular investigations to expand the understanding of the protective mechanisms of these pharmacological agents and to explore their potential future use in reducing reproductive toxicity associated with chemotherapy.
