Thymoquinone Protective Effect Against Mercury-Induced Reproductive Derangement in Rats: In Vivo and In Silico Investigation.

ABSTRACT: Mercury exposure has been linked to male infertility. Given that mercury chloride (HgCl₂) may promote an oxido-inflammatory milieu associated with pathophysiological derangements, it is hypothesised that Thymoquinone (TQ), an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, may mitigate the gradual harmful effects of mercury exposure on rat testes, epididymis, and hypothalamus, as these organs are vital to reproductive function. To test this hypothesis, 40 rats (strain: Wistar; sex: male) were randomly assigned to five cohorts of eight rats each. After a 7-day acclimation, treatments were dispensed for 28 consecutive days accordingly: Cohort I: distilled water only, as control; Cohort II: HgCl₂ only (20 µg/mL); Cohort III: TQ only (2.5 mg/kg); Cohort IV: HgCl₂ + TQ

SUBMITTER: Owumi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12567884 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature