Antioxidants: A therapy for cryptorchidism, true or false?

BACKGROUND: Cryptorchidism remains a common congenital anomaly of the male genitalia, affecting 2.4%-5% of male infants. AIM: This study investigates the effects of L-carnitine (LC), Biotin, and Vitamin D3 (Vit D) on the cryptorchid testis in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five adult male SD rats were divided into 5 groups of 5 each. The right testis of all rats was made cryptorchid. Group A received distilled water, Group B received LC, Group C received biotin, and Group D received Vit D while Group E received a cocktail of LC, Biotin, and Vit D. At the end 8 weeks, the animals were euthanized, and vital organs obtained, processed, and analyzed. RESULTS: The testis of the untreated animals had marked depletion in the cells of the seminiferous tubules compared to those treated with antioxidants. They also had upregulated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) which was inversely proportional to the levels of antioxidant enzymes. Epididymal sperm quality and testosterone level were also reduced in the untreated cryptorchid animals. These effects were, however, mitigated by the use of the antioxidants. CONCLUSION: In this study, antioxidant therapy acted as a panacea for reversal of reactive oxygen species-induced male infertility in cryptorchid testis in SD rats. Further studies on antioxidants in comparison with hormonal supplements and surgical treatments of cryptorchid testis will be of great significance.