Ebselen attenuates cadmium‐induced testicular damage in mice

This study was designed to examine if ebselen, an organoselenium compound with antioxidant and glutathione peroxidase‐mimetic properties, attenuates testicular injury caused by intraperitoneal administration of CdCl 2 . A number of toxicological parameters were evaluated in the testes of mice, such as δ‐ aminolevulinic acid dehydratase ( δ‐ ALA‐D) activity, lipid peroxidation, ascorbic acid levels and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities. Ebselen attenuated lipid peroxidation levels altered by CdCl 2 . δ‐ ALA‐D activity inhibited by the highest dose of CdCl 2 was attenuated by ebselen. A significant negative correlation between lipid peroxidation levels and δ‐ ALA‐D activity was observed. Ebselen restored ascorbic acid levels reduced by CdCl 2 . A significant negative correlation between ascorbic acid levels and δ‐ ALA‐D activity reinforces the idea that ebselen attenuated the damage induced by CdCl 2 via its antioxidant property. The significant correlation between ALT and δ‐ ALA‐D activity supports the assumption that ebselen prevented damage caused by CdCl 2 . The results show that ebselen attenuated oxidative stress, a process important for CdCl 2 toxicity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.