Division of Endocrinology, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54655. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0054655. Epub 2013 Jan 22.
The Ayurvedic medicinal system claims Mucuna pruriens (MP) to possess pro-male fertility, aphrodisiac and adaptogenic properties. Some scientific evidence also supports its pro-male fertility properties; however, the mechanism of its action is not yet clear. The present study aimed at demonstrating spermatogenic restorative efficacy of MP and its major constituent L-DOPA (LD), and finding the possible mechanism of action thereof in a rat model.
METHODOLOGY/FINDINGS: Ethinyl estradiol (EE) was administered at a rate of 3 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for a period of 14 days to generate a rat model with compromised spermatogenesis. MP and LD were administered in two separate groups of these animals starting 15(th) day for a period of 56 days, and the results were compared with an auto-recovery (AR) group. Sperm count and motility, testis histo-architecture, level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), apoptosis, peripheral hormone levels and testicular germ cell populations were analysed, in all experimental groups. We observed efficient and quick recovery of spermatogenesis in MP and LD groups in comparison to the auto-recovery group. The treatment regulated ROS level, apoptosis, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), recovered the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the number of testicular germ cells, ultimately leading to increased sperm count and motility.
CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: M. pruriens efficiently recovers the spermatogenic loss induced due to EE administration. The recovery is mediated by reduction in ROS level, restoration of MMP, regulation of apoptosis and eventual increase in the number of germ cells and regulation of apoptosis. The present study simplified the complexity of mechanism involved and provided meaningful insights into MP/LD mediated correction of spermatogenic impairment caused by estrogens exposure. This is the first study demonstrating that L-DOPA largely accounts for pro-spermatogenic properties of M. pruriens. The manuscript bears CDRI communication number 8374.
阿育吠陀医学系统声称，豇豆（MP）具有促进男性生育、壮阳和适应原特性。一些科学证据也支持其促进男性生育力的特性；然而，其作用机制尚不清楚。本研究旨在展示 MP 及其主要成分 L-多巴（LD）的生精修复功效，并在大鼠模型中寻找其可能的作用机制。
方法/发现：14 天内以 3 毫克/千克体重（BW）的剂量给予乙炔雌二醇（EE），以生成精子发生受损的大鼠模型。在这些动物的第 15 天开始，将 MP 和 LD 分别给予两组，持续 56 天，并与自动恢复（AR）组进行比较。在所有实验组中，分析精子计数和活力、睾丸组织形态、活性氧（ROS）水平、线粒体膜电位（MMP）、凋亡、外周激素水平和睾丸生殖细胞群。与自动恢复组相比，我们观察到 MP 和 LD 组的精子发生恢复迅速有效。该治疗调节了 ROS 水平、凋亡和线粒体膜电位（MMP），恢复了下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴和睾丸生殖细胞数量，最终导致精子计数和活力增加。
结论/意义：豇豆能有效地恢复 EE 给药引起的精子发生损失。这种恢复是通过降低 ROS 水平、恢复 MMP、调节凋亡以及最终增加生殖细胞数量和调节凋亡来实现的。本研究简化了所涉及机制的复杂性，并为 MP/LD 介导的纠正雌激素暴露引起的精子发生障碍提供了有意义的见解。这是第一项证明 L-多巴在很大程度上解释了豇豆促精子发生特性的研究。本文稿承载 CDRI 通讯号 8374。
