Shalaweh S M, Erasmus N, Weitz F, Henkel R R
Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
Andrologia. 2015 Apr;47(3):318-27. doi: 10.1111/and.12264. Epub 2014 Mar 16.
Cissampelos capensis is commonly known by the Afrikaans name 'dawidjies' or 'dawidjieswortel'. C. capensis is the most important and best-known medicinal plant of the family Menispermaceae used by the Khoisan and other rural people in the western regions of South Africa. Among numerous other ailments, it is traditionally taken to treat male fertility problems. Yet, no studies have investigated the effects of this plant or its extracts on human spermatozoa. The aim of study was to investigate the effects of C. capensis extracts on sperm function. A total of 77 semen samples were collected. Spermatozoa were washed with HTF-BSA medium and incubated with different concentrations of C. capensis (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5, 50, 200 μg ml(-1) ) for 1 h at 37 °C. Sperm motility, vitality, acrosome reaction, reactive oxygen species (ROS), capacitation, Annexin V binding, DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm ) were determined. While viability, Annexin V positivity and Δψm were not affected, the percentages of ROS-positive, TUNEL-positive, capacitated and hyperactivated spermatozoa increased significantly and dose-dependently. It is concluded that the alkaloids present in the extract of C. capansis rhizomes triggered sperm intrinsic superoxide production leading to sperm capacitation and DNA fragmentation.
南非钩藤通常以南非荷兰语名称“dawidjies”或“dawidjieswortel”为人所知。南非钩藤是防己科最重要且最知名的药用植物，被科伊桑人和南非西部地区的其他农村居民所使用。在众多其他疾病中，传统上它被用于治疗男性生育问题。然而，尚无研究调查过这种植物或其提取物对人类精子的影响。本研究的目的是调查南非钩藤提取物对精子功能的影响。总共收集了77份精液样本。精子用HTF - BSA培养基洗涤，并在37℃下与不同浓度的南非钩藤（0、0.05、0.5、5、50、200μg ml⁻¹）孵育1小时。测定精子活力、生存力、顶体反应、活性氧（ROS）、获能、膜联蛋白V结合、DNA片段化和线粒体膜电位（Δψm）。虽然生存力、膜联蛋白V阳性和Δψm未受影响，但ROS阳性、TUNEL阳性、获能和超活化精子的百分比显著且呈剂量依赖性增加。得出的结论是，南非钩藤根茎提取物中的生物碱引发精子内源性超氧化物生成，导致精子获能和DNA片段化。
