Document Type : Research articles

Authors

1 Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background: Noise is one of the harmful environmental factors and an inevitable phenomenon in workplaces. Noise stress can lead to endocrine and reproductive system disorders. Objectives: This experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of noise stress on sperm parameters and the protective effect of hydroalcoholic Cinnamomum verum extract in adult rats. Methods: A total of 32 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 8). Group 1 was treated with distilled water (con- trol), Group 2 was treated with 75 mg kg-1 hydroalcoholic C. verum extract, Group 3 was exposed to noise (100 dB) for the eighth/day, and Group 4 was exposed to noise and treated with 75 mg kg-1 hydroalcoholic C. verum extract by gavage. After 50 days, the rats were anesthetized, blood samples were collected, and the cauda epididymis was removed to examine sperm parameters. Data analysis was performed using SPSS.
Results: In Group 3, noise stress significantly decreased the levels of sex hormones (LH, FSH, and testosterone), sperm viability, and the percentage of morphologically normal sperm compared to the control group. In Group 2, the levels of sex hormones and sperm parameters increased significantly compared to the control group. Comparison of the results of Groups 3 and 4 showed the protective effect of C. verum extract on the levels of sex hormones and sperm viability.
Conclusions: It is recommended to investigate the action mechanism of C. verum effect on the male reproductive system of animal models and humans who work in noisy environments.

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