a Department of Physiology , College of Medicine, King Khalid University , Abha , Saudi Arabia.
Pharm Biol. 2018 Dec;56(1):535-547. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2018.1523934.
Crataegus aronia (syn. Azarolus L.) (Rosaceae) is used in traditional medicine due to its hypolipidaemic and antioxidant properties.
This study investigates the effect of C. aronia whole plant aqueous extract on sperm parameter and testicular structure in control and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-induced rats.
Male rats were divided into six groups (10 rats each) as control fed a standard diet (STD) (10% kcal), STD + C. aronia (200 mg/kg), high-fat diet (HFD) (45% kcal), HFD + C. aronia, HFD followed by C. aronia, and C. aronia followed by HFD. Rats were treated with C. aronia (once/day, orally) for four weeks.
Compared with STD rats, STD rats co-treated with C. aronia had lower hepatic triglycerides (0.58 vs. 0.42 mg/g) and cholesterol (5.4 vs. 3.27 mg/g) contents, higher levels of testosterone (8.43 vs. 10.9 ng/mL), luteinizing hormone (6.05 vs. 8.1 mIU/mL) and follicle-stimulating hormone (5.8 vs. 8.0 mIU/mL) and increased epididymis weight (1.28 vs. 1.5g) and sperm count (133.2 vs. 148.3 million/0.1 mg) and motility (66.8%vs. 77.6%). They showed increased testicular levels of glutathione (6.3 vs. 7.75 µM/L) and higher protein levels of Nrf2 (0.37 vs. 0.79), γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (0.27 vs. 0.5) and superoxide dismutase (0.92 vs. 2.1). Concomitant or post-treatment of C. aronia to NAFLD rats prevented the declines in sperm parameters and damage in the testis by similar effects like those found in the STD rats.
This study encourages the use of C. aronia in further future clinical studies.
山楂（蔷薇科）因具有降血脂和抗氧化特性，在传统医学中被使用。
本研究调查山楂全株水提物对正常饮食和非酒精性脂肪肝疾病（NAFLD）大鼠精子参数和睾丸结构的影响。
雄性大鼠分为六组（每组 10 只），分别为正常饮食（STD）（10%热量）组（STD）、STD 加山楂（200mg/kg）组、高脂肪饮食（HFD）（45%热量）组、HFD 加山楂组、HFD 后加山楂组和山楂后加 HFD 组。大鼠每天口服山楂（一次/天）治疗 4 周。
与 STD 大鼠相比，STD 大鼠与山楂共同治疗后肝组织三酰甘油（0.58 vs. 0.42mg/g）和胆固醇（5.4 vs. 3.27mg/g）含量较低，睾酮（8.43 vs. 10.9ng/mL）、黄体生成素（6.05 vs. 8.1mIU/mL）和卵泡刺激素（5.8 vs. 8.0mIU/mL）水平较高，附睾重量（1.28 vs. 1.5g）和精子计数（133.2 vs. 148.3 百万/0.1mg）和活力（66.8% vs. 77.6%）增加。睾丸组织谷胱甘肽（6.3 vs. 7.75µM/L）水平升高，Nrf2（0.37 vs. 0.79）、γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶（0.27 vs. 0.5）和超氧化物歧化酶（0.92 vs. 2.1）蛋白水平升高。山楂同时或治疗后用于 NAFLD 大鼠，通过与 STD 大鼠相似的作用，防止精子参数下降和睾丸损伤。
本研究鼓励在未来的临床研究中使用山楂。
