Study of the protective effect of vitamin C on testicular tissue following experimental unilateral cryptorchidism in rats.

This study investigated the role of vitamin C as an antioxidant in protecting the testis against damage in experimental unilateral cryptorchidism. Forty-five male Wistar Albino rats were divided into three groups. The control group had intact rats, the cryptorchid group had unilateral cryptorchid rats and the treatment group had unilateral cryptorchid rats that it received vitamin C at a dose of 50 mg kg(-1) body weight intraperitoneal, once a day, during experimental period. Histopathological samples were obtained from five cases of 15 animals of each group at 15, 30 and 60 days after induction of cryptorchidism. The results showed histopathological parameters of the cryptorchid (left) testes in the cryptorchid group significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and treatment with vitamin C after 60 days significantly improved all parameters of these testes compared with the cryptorchid group (P < 0.05). In addition, the left testes on unilateral cryptorchid rats had noticeable adverse effects on the scrotal (right) testes (P < 0.05). Treatment with vitamin C after 60 days significantly improved all parameters of these testes compared with the cryptorchid group (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that treatment with vitamin C significantly improved histopathological parameters in scrotal testes on unilateral cryptorchid rats.