Background: Sertraline (SRT) is prescribed mainly for the treatment of patients with depression. However, SRT this drug is known to have toxic effects on the male germ cells likely by inducing oxidative stress. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the preventive and anti-oxidative ameliorative effects of curcumin on the SRT sertraline -induced male reproductive toxicity. Methods: Thirty-two male rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight each. The first group served as the control and received only tap water orally. The second group was provided orally with SRT sertraline at 20 mg/kg. The third group received SRT sertraline at 20 mg/kg, and was given an oral dose of curcumin at 100 mg/kg. The fourth group served as a positive control and was administrated curcumin at 100 mg/kg. All treatments were given over 42 consecutive days. Results: SRT Sertraline exerted testicular toxicity mainly by triggering oxidative stress, resulting in adverse degenerative and atrophic alterations of seminiferous tubules. Further, the testosterone and leutinizing hormone levels were significantly lower in the SRT sertraline group compared to the controls. Curcumin combined with SRT sertraline, mitigated almost all of the induced histological abnormalities and significantly inhibited the oxidative stress by restoring antioxidant activities in the testicular tissue. Also, in the combined group, the serum testosterone level significantly improved compared to that of the controls. However, curcumin alone did not have a remarkable effect compared to that of the controls. Curcumin alone did not show any detrimental effects on the all of the parameters compared to the control group. Conclusions: We found that curcumin had an ameliorative effect against SRT sertraline -mediated testicular injury in male Wistar rats by exerting anti-oxidative role on the tissue.
