THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF THYMOL AGAINST METHOMYL- INDUCED TOXICITY IN MALE RATS: CLINICO-BIOCHEMICAL, HISTOPATHOLOGICAL AND IMMUNO-HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES

Abstract

Abstract

       This experiment was carried out to evaluate the presumptive protective effect of thymol (T) against methomyl (M) - induced toxicity in male albino rats. Therefore, forty adult healthy male albino rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups as follow: control group, intoxicated group received methomyl (4 mg/kg b.wt./day), treated group received thymol (100 mg/kg b.wt.), and co-treated group received both methomyl and thymol with the previous doses.  The treatment regimens were given orally three times a week, day after day, for eight weeks. Biochemically, the M- intoxicated rats revealed a significant increase in the serum aminotransferases (ALT& AST) and gamma glutamyle transferase (GGT) activities, total, direct and indirect bilirubin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), urea, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, in addition to a significant decrease in serum albumin and testosterone levels with a significant increase in the percentage of sperm abnormalities in comparison with the control rats.  Regarding to the histopathological examination, M- intoxicated group showed degenerative and necrotic lesions in the hepatic, renal and testicular tissues. But, the co- treatment with thymol ameliorated the M- induced biochemical alterations, oxidative stress and apoptosis and improved tissues architecture. It could be concluded that co-treatment with thymol may provide a prolonged remedy against methomyl -induced toxicity.

Keywords: Methomyl, Thymol, Oxidative stress, Caspase 3, Rats, Sperm.