Pregabalin (
PGB)
drug abuse is common among the youth. It substituted
tramadol before its recent schedule as a controlled
drug since April 2019.
PGB is an
antiepileptic drug acting on the central nervous system. It blocks
calcium channels regulating the action of
neurotransmitters and causing prolonged depolarization. The present study aimed to investigate the toxic effect of long term
pregabalin abuse on the reproductive function and
body weight in both male and female albino rats and to evaluate the ameliorative effect of
wheat germ oil (WGO). Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into eight groups. The first four groups were males and they were treated as follows: control group (1.5 mL saline), WGO group (1.5 mL L/kg),
PGB group (300 mg/kg), and protective group (PGB + WGO). All doses were administrated once per day for 60 days by gastric gavage. The second four groups were females. They were divided and treated the same as the male groups.
Pregabalin caused significant
weight loss, decreased serum
triglyceride level, and increased
leptin gene expression in all rats.
PGB affected male rats reproduction by decreasing total
testosterone serum level and inhibiting spermatogenesis. Reproductive toxicity in females was caused by decreasing pituitary
steroids, increasing
gonadal hormones, and increasing the number of atretic ovarian follicles. Mechanism of toxicity may be attributed to the
PGB oxidative stress effect that induced apoptosis and caused diffuse gonadal
atrophy. WGO showed a protective effect on
PGB induced toxicity as all measured parameters were relatively improved.