Subacute alcohol and/or disulfiram intake affects bioelements and redox status in rat testes.

The aim of the study was to investigate if alcohol and disulfiram (DSF) individually and in combination affect bioelements' and red-ox homeostasis in testes of the exposed rats. The animals were divided into groups according to the duration of treatments (21 and/or 42 days): C/C groups (controls); OL and OL groups (0.5 mL olive oil intake); A groups (3 mL 20% ethanol intake); DSF groups (178.5 mg DSF/kg/day intake); and A+DSF groups (the DSF ingestion followed previous 21 days' treatment with alcohol). The measured parameters in testes included metals: zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg) and selenium (Se); as well as oxidative stress (OS) parameters: superoxide anion radical (O), glutathione reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (HO) decomposition and activities of total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR). Metal status was changed in all experimental groups (Fe rose, Zn fell, while Cu increased in A+DSF groups). Development of OS was demonstrated in A groups, but not in DSF groups. In A+DSF groups, OS was partially reduced compared to A groups (A>MDA>C; A