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    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">J Reprod Infert</journal-id>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">arij001</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Journal of Reproduction &amp; Infertility</journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">2228-5482</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">2251-676X</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Avicenna Research Institute</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>

    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">jri408</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi"></article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="pmid"></article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
             <subject></subject> 
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group>
            <subject></subject>
        </subj-group> 
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>The Protective Effects of Melatonin on the Histological Changes of Testis in Busulfan-Treated Adult Mice</article-title>
      </title-group>
        <contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Mohammadghasemi</surname><given-names>Fahimeh</given-names></name></contrib><aff>Histotechnical Laboratory, Histology Group, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran</aff></contrib-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Faghani</surname><given-names>Masoumeh</given-names></name></contrib><aff>Histotechnical Laboratory, Histology Group, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran</aff></contrib-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author"><name><surname>Khajeh Jahromi</surname><given-names>Sina</given-names></name></contrib><aff>Medical Students Research Center Committee, Gilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran</aff></contrib-group>
      <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
        <day></day>
        <month></month>
        <year></year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date pub-type="epub">
        <day></day>
        <month></month>
        <year></year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>11</volume>
      <issue>2</issue>
      <fpage>067</fpage>
      <lpage>77</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received">
          <day>27</day>
          <month>6</month>
          <year>2009</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted">
          <day>10</day>
          <month>11</month>
          <year>2009</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <abstract>
      <p>
      Introduction: Antineoplastic chemotherapy is usually accompanied by fertility impairment and the aim of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of melatonin, a pineal gland hormone with potent antioxidant activity, on busulfan-treated adult male mice. 
Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 32, eight-week old adult male mice. The animals were divided into four groups consisting of a control and three experimental groups. The animals in the control group received dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a solvent, the second group a single dose of intraperitoneal busulfan (20 mg/kg), the third group a single dose of intraperitoneal melatonin (10 mg/kg) for five days and the fourth group melatonin (10 mg/kg) for five days upon an initial dose of busulfan (20 mg/kg). Thirty-five days after the treatments, all the animals were sacrificed and dissected. Johnson&#39;s score were determined by examining the morphometric characteristics of seminiferous tubules and estimating Leydig cell volumes and germ cell counts.  
Results: Busulfan-treated mice showed reductions in Johnson&#39;s score and quality of spermatogenesis (p &lt; 0.001) in comparison to the controls. The quantitative values of seminiferous tubules (p &lt; 0.05) and the nuclear volume of Leydig cells (p &lt; 0.05) were significantly lower in the busulfan-treated mice relative to the controls. In the fourth group, melatonin not only caused a remarkable normalization in seminiferous tubule indices (p &lt; 0.05), but also increased the nuclear volume of Leydig cells (p &lt; 0.001), the relevant Johnson&#39;s score (p &lt; 0.001) and all germ cells in comparison to the second group (p &lt; 0.05). 
Conclusion: Melatonin might have a possible protective effect against busulfan-induced testicular damage. Although the protective mechanism of melatonin has not been fully revealed, the protection seems to be through a decrease in oxidative stress.

      </p>
      </abstract>
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