Effect of chocolate and propofenol® on rabbit testis and ejaculated sperm after a bacterial LPS administration

The present study was aimed at exploring the effect of chocolate and Propofenol® on the spermatogenesis of rabbits inoculated with bacterial LPS. Thirty two New Zeland White rabbit bucks were divided into four groups. Three groups were inoculated intra-peritoneally with LPS; one with chocolate and one with with Propofenol® before LPS injection for 15 days and throughout the trial, a control group was treated under the same conditions with saline only. Semen samples were collected before and every week after LPS injection. Sperm kinetic traits were analysed by CASA and ultrastructural characteristics were examined by TEM. Plasma testosterone and seminal ROS concentration were assayed. Testis and epidydimis were explored by TEM, Toll-Like-Receptor-4 (TLR-4) gene expression was examined by multiplex RT-PCR. Normal sperm motility and ultrastucture percentages were lower in the LPS-group, whereas in the LPS-Propofenol®/LPS-chocolate groups a decrease was less evident with a faster recovery of standard values. In the LPS-rabbits, plasma testosterone concentration resulted reduced and ROS were higher. Testis from LPS-rabbits showed damages but they were not present in LPS-Propofenol®/LPS-chocolate groups; epididymis did not show structural differences. TLR-4 was expressed in testis and epididymis; TLR-4 mRNA levels were comparable in LPS/LPSchocolate groups, but markedly declined in the LPS-Propofenol® subjects. In conclusion, treatment with chocolate/Propofenol® and LPS inoculation showed a protective effect on testis and ejaculated sperm of rabbit.