Exposure to lead (Pb) causes multiorgan dysfunction including reproductive impairments. Here, we examined the protective effects of
coenzyme Q10 (
CoQ10) administration on testicular injury induced by
lead acetate (PbAc) exposure in rats. This study employed four experimental groups (n = 7) that underwent seven days of treatment as follows: control group intraperitoneally (i.p.) treated with 0.1 ml of
0.9% NaCl containing 1%
Tween 80 (v : v),
CoQ10 group that was i.p. injected with 10 mg/kg
CoQ10, PbAc group that was i.p. treated with PbAc (20 mg/kg), and PbAc+CoQ10 group that was i.p. injected with
CoQ10 2 h after PbAc. PbAc injection resulted in increasing residual Pb levels in the testis and reducing
testosterone,
luteinizing hormone, and
follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Additionally, PbAc exposure resulted in significant oxidative damage to the tissues on the testes. PbAc raised the levels of prooxidants (
malondialdehyde and
nitric oxide) and reduced the amount of endogenous antioxidative
proteins (
glutathione and its derivative
enzymes,
catalase, and
superoxide dismutase) available in the cell. Moreover, PbAc induced the inflammatory response as evidenced by the upregulation of inflammatory mediators (
tumor necrosis factor-alpha and
interleukin-1 beta). Further, PbAc treatment induced apoptosis in the testicular cells, as indicated by an increase in Bax and
caspase 3 expression, and reduced Bcl2 expression.
CoQ10 supplementation improved testicular function by inhibiting Pb accumulation, oxidative stress,
inflammation, cell death, and histopathological changes following PbAc exposure. Our findings suggest that
CoQ10 can act as a natural therapeutic agent to protect against the reproductive impairments associated with PbAc exposure.