Protective Effects of Curcumin Against Haloperidol-Induced Reproductive Toxicity in Male Wistar Rats: Hormonal, Spermatological, and Histopathological Assessment

Abstract

The relationship between hormonal imbalances and psychotropic drugs at a pathophysiology level remains unclear. The study was aimed to determine whether curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant, and phenylalanine can safeguard male Wistar rats from reproductive issues. We randomly assigned 40 male Wistar rats into five groups: a negative control group, G1 receiving haloperidol at a dosage of 1 mg/kg/day, G2 receiving curcumin at a dosage of 200 mg/kg/day, G3 receiving phenylalanine at a dosage of 200 mg/kg/day, and G4 also receiving phenylalanine at a dosage of 200 mg/kg/day. There were no significant variations in serum levels of prolactin among the groups, while giving haloperidol to G1 resulted in testosterone levels to reduce from 224.25 ng/dL to 111.00 ng/dL. Combined treatment with curcumin (G2) brought testosterone levels back to the highest level ever recorded (296.00 ng/dL). The triple combination (G3) was able to keep FSH and LH levels similar to their baseline levels. Histopathological examination showed that haloperidol treatment caused structural impairment and atrophy of the germinal epithelium in approximately 70% of seminiferous tubules. In contrast, curcumin (G2) and the combined treatment (G3) considerably restored testicular spermatogenesis and architecture. The study concluded that curcumin, particularly when combined with phenylalanine, revealed a notable protective effect against reproductive harm induced by haloperidol. These findings indicated that curcumin may ameliorate the adverse effects that drugs of antipsychotic on male fertility by protection testosterone levels and the structural integrity of the testes.