Shalaby Mostafa Abbas, Hammouda Ashraf Abd El-Khalik
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2014 Jul-Sep;3(3):113-8. doi: 10.5455/jice.20140627123443. Epub 2014 Jul 7.
This study was carried out to assess the protective and anti-oxidant activities of the methanolic extract of Tribulus terrestris fruits (METT) against sodium valproate (SVP)-induced testicular toxicity in rats.
Fifty mature male rats were randomly divided into five equal groups (n = 10). Group 1 was used normal (negative) control, and the other four groups were intoxicated with SVP (500 mg/kg(-1), orally) during the last week of the experiment. Group 2 was kept intoxicated (positive) control, and Groups 3, 4 and 5 were orally pre-treated with METT in daily doses 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg(-1) for 60 days, respectively. Weights of sexual organs, serum testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, semen picture, testicular anti-oxidant capacity and histopathology of testes were the parameters used in this study.
Oral pre-treatment with METT significantly increased weights of testes and seminal vesicles; serum testosterone, FSH and LH levels and sperm motility, count and viability in SVP-intoxicated rats. METT enhanced the activity of testicular anti-oxidant enzymes and partially alleviated degenerative changes induced by SVP in testes.
The pre-treatment with METT has protective and anti-oxidant effects in SVP-intoxicated rats. Mechanisms of this protective effect against testicular toxicity may be due to the increased release of testosterone, FSH and LH and the enhanced tissue anti-oxidant capacity. These results affirm the traditional use of T. terrestris fruits as an aphrodisiac for treating male sexual impotency and erectile dysfunction in patients. The study recommends that T. terrestris fruits may be beneficial for male patients suffering from infertility.
本研究旨在评估刺蒺藜果实甲醇提取物（METT）对丙戊酸钠（SVP）诱导的大鼠睾丸毒性的保护和抗氧化活性。
将50只成年雄性大鼠随机分为五组，每组10只。第1组作为正常（阴性）对照组，其他四组在实验的最后一周口服SVP（500mg/kg-1）使其中毒。第2组作为中毒（阳性）对照组，第3、4和5组分别以2.5、5.0和10.0mg/kg-1的日剂量口服METT预处理60天。本研究采用的参数包括性器官重量、血清睾酮、卵泡刺激素（FSH）和黄体生成素（LH）水平、精液图像、睾丸抗氧化能力以及睾丸组织病理学。
METT口服预处理显著增加了SVP中毒大鼠的睾丸和精囊重量；血清睾酮、FSH和LH水平以及精子活力、数量和存活率。METT增强了睾丸抗氧化酶的活性，并部分减轻了SVP诱导的睾丸退行性变化。
METT预处理对SVP中毒大鼠具有保护和抗氧化作用。这种对睾丸毒性的保护作用机制可能是由于睾酮、FSH和LH释放增加以及组织抗氧化能力增强。这些结果证实了刺蒺藜果实在治疗男性性功能障碍和勃起功能障碍方面作为壮阳药的传统用途。该研究建议刺蒺藜果实可能对患有不孕症的男性患者有益。
