Erukainure Ochuko L, Chukwuma Chika I
Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, South Africa.
Centre for Quality of Health and Living, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Front Nutr. 2024 Nov 19;11:1505453. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1505453. eCollection 2024.
African walnut () oil (AWO) has been reported for its nutritional and medicinal properties and has been employed for the management of metabolic diseases including hyperglycemia-mediated ailments.
In the present study, AWO was investigated for its ability to stimulate glucose uptake and its effect on energy metabolism, steroidogenesis, and tissue morphology in isolated testes of Wistar rats.
Isolated testes were incubated with AWO (30-240 μg/mL) in the presence of 11.1 mMol glucose at 37°C for 2 h. Control consisted of testes incubated with glucose only, while normal control consisted of testes not incubated with AWO and/or glucose. The standard antidiabetic drug was metformin.
Incubation with AWO led to significant increase in glucose uptake, hexokinase, glyoxalase 1, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities, GLUT4, glutathione, and ATP levels while concomitantly suppressing glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, glycogen phosphorylase, aldose reductase, polyol dehydrogenase, E-NTPDase, and ATPase activities. Furthermore, incubation with AWO led to improved testicular morphology while elevating testicular levels of magnesium, sulfur, potassium, calcium, and iron. Fatty acid profiling with GC-MS revealed linoleic acid and linolenic acid as the predominant essential fatty acids in AWO. Molecular docking analysis revealed potent molecular interactions of linoleic acid and linolenic acid with GLUT4. These results suggest the ability of AWO to improve testicular glucose metabolism and steroidogenesis and can be explored in the management of male infertility.
非洲核桃（）油（AWO）因其营养和药用特性而被报道，已被用于管理包括高血糖介导疾病在内的代谢性疾病。
在本研究中，研究了AWO刺激葡萄糖摄取的能力及其对Wistar大鼠离体睾丸能量代谢、类固醇生成和组织形态的影响。
将离体睾丸在37°C下于11.1 mMol葡萄糖存在的情况下与AWO（30 - 240μg/mL）孵育2小时。对照组为仅与葡萄糖孵育的睾丸，而正常对照组为未与AWO和/或葡萄糖孵育的睾丸。标准抗糖尿病药物为二甲双胍。
与AWO孵育导致葡萄糖摄取、己糖激酶、乙二醛酶1、谷胱甘肽还原酶、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、3β - 羟基类固醇脱氢酶、17β - 羟基类固醇脱氢酶活性、GLUT4、谷胱甘肽和ATP水平显著增加，同时抑制葡萄糖 - 6 - 磷酸酶、果糖 - 1,6 - 二磷酸酶、糖原磷酸化酶、醛糖还原酶、多元醇脱氢酶、E - NTPDase和ATPase活性。此外，与AWO孵育导致睾丸形态改善，同时提高睾丸中镁、硫、钾、钙和铁的水平。用GC - MS进行的脂肪酸谱分析显示亚油酸和亚麻酸是AWO中的主要必需脂肪酸。分子对接分析揭示了亚油酸和亚麻酸与GLUT4的有效分子相互作用。这些结果表明AWO具有改善睾丸葡萄糖代谢和类固醇生成的能力，可用于探索男性不育症的管理。
