Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria.
Department of Physiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria; Reproductive Biology and Toxicology Research Laboratories, Oasis of Grace Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; Department of Chemical Sciences, Kings University, Odeomu, Osun, Nigeria.
Tissue Cell. 2021 Dec;73:101632. doi: 10.1016/j.tice.2021.101632. Epub 2021 Aug 25.
Andrographis paniculata has been shown to be associated with male reproductive dysfunction, although the available data are scarce and inconsistent, and the associated mechanisms are elusive. Hormonal mechanism via hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, and non-hormonal mechanism primarily through oxidative stress, are involved in the modulation of male reproductive function. We therefore, hypothesized that suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and/or oxidative stress is involved in Andrographis paniculata-induced reproductive dysfunction. Male Wistar rats received either vehicle or Andrographis paniculata in varying doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight daily for 8 weeks. Treatment with Andrographis paniculata led to reduced sperm count, motility, and viability. Andrographis paniculata treatment also resulted in distorted spermatogenesis and reduced serum testosterone. On the other hand, Andrographis paniculata led to reduction in the testicular content of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, TNF-α, and IL-6, and testicular activities of xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase, but raised testicular levels of reduced glutathione content and enhanced activity of super oxide dismutase. However, body weight gain, and absolute and relative reproductive organ weights were similar across all the groups. These findings demonstrate that Andrographis paniculata induces reproductive toxicity via suppression of testosterone and not induction of oxidative stress. Therefore, Andrographis paniculata could be a potential and safe male contraceptive.
穿心莲已被证明与男性生殖功能障碍有关，尽管现有数据有限且不一致，且相关机制尚不清楚。通过下丘脑-垂体-睾丸轴的激素机制和主要通过氧化应激的非激素机制，参与了男性生殖功能的调节。因此，我们假设抑制下丘脑-垂体-睾丸轴和/或氧化应激参与了穿心莲引起的生殖功能障碍。雄性 Wistar 大鼠每天接受载体或穿心莲不同剂量的 250、500 和 1000mg/kg 体重，持续 8 周。穿心莲治疗导致精子计数、活力和活力降低。穿心莲治疗还导致精子发生畸形和血清睾酮减少。另一方面，穿心莲导致睾丸丙二醛、一氧化氮、TNF-α 和 IL-6 的含量减少，黄嘌呤氧化酶和髓过氧化物酶的睾丸活性降低，但还原型谷胱甘肽含量的睾丸水平升高，超氧化物歧化酶的活性增强。然而，所有组的体重增加、绝对和相对生殖器官重量相似。这些发现表明，穿心莲通过抑制睾酮而不是诱导氧化应激引起生殖毒性。因此，穿心莲可能是一种潜在的安全男性避孕药。
