Antioxidative effect of fullerenol on goat epididymal spermatozoa

AIM: To evaluate the effect of fullerenol on the antioxidant system of goat epididymal sperm. METHODS: Fresh epididymides of adult goats were obtained from local slaughter houses and sperm were collected by chopping the epididymis in modified Ringer's phosphate solution (RPS medium). After several washings the sperm samples were equally dispersed in RPS medium and incubated with fullerenol (1, 10 and 100 micromol) and FeSO(4)/ascorbate (40/200 micromol) with or without fullerenol (1, 10 and 100 micromol) for 3 h at 32 degree C. After incubation, an aliquot of sperm samples were homogenized and centrifuged and the supernatant used for biochemical studies. RESULTS: In FeSO(4)/ascorbate-incubated samples, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, were decreased while lipid peroxidation increased as compared to the control sperm samples. In fullerenol-incubated sperm samples, the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were increased while lipid peroxidation was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Co-incubation of sperm with fullerenol (1,10 and 100 micromol) and FeSO(4)/ascorbate (40/200 micromol) increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and prevented the iron-induced elevation of lipid peroxidation in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Fullerenol reduces iron-induced oxidative stress in epididymal sperm of goat by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreasing lipid peroxidation.