Barley Grass Hordeumvulgare Protected Hormones and Testicular Oxidative Stress Markers of Lead Acetate-Induced Toxicity of Wistar rat.

Lead (Pb) exposure can cause reproductive toxicity, partly through oxidative imbalance and impaired testicular function. This study investigated the potential of barley grass (Hordeum vulgare L.) to attenuate the adverse effects of lead acetate on reproductive and testicular function in Wistar rats. Sixty adult male rats were allocated to six experimental groups (n = 10 per group): control, BG1 (25 g/kg feed), BG2 (50 g/kg feed), Pb (600 mg lead acetate/kg feed), Pb-BG1 (25 g BG/kg feed + 600 mg lead acetate/kg feed), and Pb-BG2 (50 g BG/kg feed + 600 mg lead acetate/kg feed). The treatments were administered for six weeks. Sperm characteristics, reproductive hormone concentrations, testicular oxidative stress biomarkers, testicular and epididymal weights, and histopathological changes in the testes and epididymides were evaluated. Lead exposure significantly reduced (p < 0.05) testicular and epididymal weights, serum testosterone, FSH and LH concentrations, sperm concentration, motility, velocity, round-cell count, and progressive and non-progressive spermatozoa. It also significantly decreased testicular GSH concentration and GPx activity and increased MDA concentration. Histopathological examination revealed narrowing of the seminiferous tubules and widening of the interstitial spaces in the testes, together with a marked reduction or absence of spermatozoa within the epididymal tubules. Co-treatment with barley grass significantly attenuated several of these Pb-induced alterations, with improvements observed in reproductive hormone levels, sperm characteristics, testicular oxidative stress biomarkers, and testicular and epididymal histological features. BG2 (50 g/kg feed) generally showed a greater magnitude of improvement than BG1 (25 g/kg feed) across several evaluated parameters, and significantly higher total, progressive, and non-progressive sperm motility were observed in the Pb-BG2 group than in the Pb-BG1 group. However, this pattern was not statistically significant across all measured parameters and therefore does not establish a definitive dose-response relationship. Overall, the findings support a protective effect of barley grass against Pb-induced reproductive and testicular toxicity under the conditions of the present study, which was associated with improved testicular antioxidant status and preservation of reproductive tissue morphology.