ArticleFrontiers in cell and developmental biology2026
Levocarnitine mitigates varicocele-induced spermatogenic impairment by restoring mitochondrial integrity and redox homeostasis in rats.
Article in Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: To study the protective mechanism of L-carnitine on the reproductive function of varicocele Wistar rats through FoxO pathway. Methods: Forty 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10): control group (A), sham-operated group (B), model group (C) and L-carnitine group (D). Varicocele was induced in Groups C and D via partial ligation of the left renal vein. Post-modeling, Group D received daily intraperitoneal L-carnitine (100 mg/kg), while Groups B and C were administered equivalent volumes of saline. After 28-day, we evaluated the modeling efficacy and measured the following parameters: body weight; epididymal and testicular indices (organ weight/body weight × 100%); semen quality (count, motility, morphology); testicular histomorphology and ultrastructure; DNA damage; and protein expression levels of FoxO3a, CAT, and SOD2. Results: Relative to controls, model group rats exhibited: (1) significantly reduced testicular index (P < 0.01), (2) impaired spermatogenesis (decreased sperm density, viability, and progressive motility [PR%]; P < 0.01), (3) disrupted seminiferous tubule architecture, (4) lower Johnsen scores (P < 0.001), (5) severe mitochondrial ultrastructural damage, and (6) elevated oxidative stress (increased MDA, 8-OHdG, and ROS with concomitant SOD reduction; all P < 0.05). L-carnitine treatment significantly alleviated varicocele-induced impairments and partially reversed oxidative stress and DNA damage-related alterations (P < 0.05), indicating its potential testicular protective effect through oxidative stress mitigation. Conclusion: Our results indicate that L-carnitine partially restores male reproductive function in varicocele models by improving sperm quantity and quality, likely through its antioxidant properties and potential involvement of the FoxO3a signaling pathway.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.