Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Operating Room, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran

2 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

4 Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran

10.22074/ijfs.2023.561854.1368

Abstract

Background: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a popular food flavor enhancer, and a glutamate subset that induces
different toxicities such as hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and nephrotoxicity. This study was
conducted to assess the effects of MSG on the α7 and α4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nACHR) protein subunits
expression of adult rat testis and the safety role of vitamin C.
Materials and Methods: For this experimental research, 24 rats were haphazardly grouped into four equal groups
(n=6) and orally gavaged for 30 days as follows: control group (distilled water gavage), MSG group (3 g/kg/b.w/
day), vitamin C group (150 mg/kg/b.w/day), and MSG+vitamin C group (3 g/kg/b.w/day+150 mg/kg/b.w/day,
respectively) that rats of all groups on the 30th day were anesthetized, and the left testes were used for of α4 and
α7 nACHR protein subunit evaluation by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Statistical computations were performed
using Graph Pad Prism software.
Results: The present study revealed a significant reduction in the expression and optical density (OD) of α7 nACHR
and α4 nACHR in the seminiferous tubules and intertubular connective tissue in the MSG group compared to the
control group. In the MSG+vitamin C group, the expression and OD of α7 nACHR and α4 nACHR increased in the
seminiferous tubules and intertubular connective tissue but this improvement was not significant compared to the
MSG group.
Conclusion: MSG decreased the expression level of nACHR protein subunits, α7 and α4, in the seminiferous tubules
and interstitial testicular tissue. Vitamin C in the MSG+vitamin C group could not significantly improve the expression
of α7 and α4 nACHR subunits in testicular tissue. Probably, MSG toxicity can be compensated with higher doses of
vitamin C.

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