Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, offers chemoprevention against reproductive and neurobehavioural abnormalities induced by atrazine in male Wistar rats

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2018 Mar:58:84-97. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2017.12.026. Epub 2017 Dec 30.

Abstract

The cyclooxygenase-2/prostanoid pathway (COX-2) serves as a potential therapeutic target in various pathological conditions. Thus, the modulatory effect of celecoxib (CXB), a COX-2 inhibitor, in atrazine-induced toxicity was investigated. Five groups (n = 6 rats per group) of adult male Wistar rats received corn oil (2 ml/kg), atrazine (ATZ, 300 mg/kg) and CXB (5.7 mg/kg) respectively and their combinations via the oral route. Results obtained showed reduced (p < 0.05) sperm motility (25.8%) and counts (27.6%), testosterone (29.9%), luteinizing (33%) and follicle stimulating hormones (78.7%) plus elevated total cholesterol (112.3%), triglyceride (115.7%), malondialdehyde levels respectively in ATZ-treated rats. Similarly, ATZ administration causes reduced locomotion (33.6%), spontaneous motor activity (46.6%) and catalepsy effects (157.3%) respectively. However, CXB divided doses moderately reverse reproductive abnormalities, modulate neurobehavioural deficits and slightly preserved COX-2 elevation following ATZ intoxication. Furthermore, histopathology of testis shows improvement in treated rats. Overall, our data suggest chemopreventive actions via pharmacological inhibition of COX-2 activity during ATZ toxicity.

Keywords: Atrazine; Celecoxib; Cyclooxygenase-2; Male reproduction; Neurobehavioural deficit; Oxidative stress.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Atrazine / toxicity*
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Catalepsy / chemically induced
  • Catalepsy / metabolism
  • Catalepsy / pathology
  • Catalepsy / prevention & control
  • Celecoxib / pharmacology
  • Celecoxib / therapeutic use*
  • Chemoprevention
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 / metabolism
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone / blood
  • Herbicides / toxicity*
  • Lipid Metabolism / drug effects
  • Locomotion / drug effects
  • Luteinizing Hormone / blood
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Nervous System Diseases / chemically induced
  • Nervous System Diseases / metabolism
  • Nervous System Diseases / pathology
  • Nervous System Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Reproduction / drug effects
  • Sperm Count
  • Sperm Motility / drug effects
  • Testis / drug effects
  • Testis / metabolism
  • Testis / pathology
  • Testosterone / blood

Substances

  • Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors
  • Herbicides
  • Testosterone
  • Luteinizing Hormone
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Ptgs2 protein, rat
  • Celecoxib
  • Atrazine