Ikuomola Emmanuel Orire, Owu Daniel Udofia, Oka Victor Otu, Onaadepo Olufunke, Ugwu Felix Nnaemeka, Aja Patrick Maduabuchi
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University Western Campus, Bushenyi, Uganda.
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Kampala International University, Kampala, Tanzania.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Aug 25;12:1645967. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1645967. eCollection 2025.
Male infertility is a global health issue, with pharmaceutical agents such as cimetidine contributing significantly to gonadotoxicity through antiandrogenic and oxidative mechanisms. The search for natural protective agents has highlighted var. (collard greens) for its antioxidant and endocrine-modulating properties.
This study evaluated the protective effects of var. (collard greens) ethanol extract and its solvent fractions on cimetidine-induced reproductive toxicity in male Wistar rats, focusing on body/organ weights, hormonal profiles, antioxidant enzyme activities, and testicular histoarchitecture.
Thirty-five rats were divided into seven groups: control, cimetidine (120 mg/kg), ethanol extract (200 mg/kg), and cimetidine + fractions (aqueous, butanol, and hexane). After 8 weeks oral administration of extracts/fractions, sperm parameters, serum hormones (LH, FSH, and testosterone), oxidative stress markers (catalase, SOD, and MDA), and histopathology were assessed.
Cimetidine significantly reduce follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone levels ( < 0.05) while increasing oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevate malondialdehyde (MDA) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). It also caused distortion of the testicular architecture. Treatment with the ethanol extract (ELEBO) and solvent fractions restored hormonal balance and antioxidant activity. Histological analysis revealed preserved testicular architecture in treated groups compared to the degeneration observed in the cimetidine-induced group.
var. exhibits significant protective effects against cimetidine-induced reproductive toxicity through hormonal regulation, antioxidative mechanisms, and tissue preservation. The ethanol extract of (ELEBO) showed the most potent activity, supporting its potential use as a therapeutic adjunct in male infertility linked to pharmaceutical exposures.
男性不育是一个全球性的健康问题，西咪替丁等药物通过抗雄激素和氧化机制对性腺毒性有显著影响。对天然保护剂的研究突出了羽衣甘蓝变种因其抗氧化和内分泌调节特性。
本研究评估了羽衣甘蓝变种乙醇提取物及其溶剂组分对西咪替丁诱导的雄性Wistar大鼠生殖毒性的保护作用，重点关注体重/器官重量、激素水平、抗氧化酶活性和睾丸组织结构。
将35只大鼠分为七组：对照组、西咪替丁组（120mg/kg）、乙醇提取物组（200mg/kg）以及西咪替丁+各组分组（水相、丁醇和己烷）。在口服提取物/组分8周后，评估精子参数、血清激素（促黄体生成素、促卵泡生成素和睾酮）、氧化应激标志物（过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶和丙二醛）以及组织病理学。
西咪替丁显著降低促卵泡生成素（FSH）、促黄体生成素（LH）和睾酮水平（P<0.05），同时增加氧化应激，丙二醛（MDA）、超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化氢酶（CAT）升高证明了这一点。它还导致睾丸结构变形。用乙醇提取物（ELEBO）和溶剂组分治疗可恢复激素平衡和抗氧化活性。组织学分析显示，与西咪替丁诱导组观察到的变性相比，治疗组的睾丸结构得以保留。
羽衣甘蓝变种通过激素调节、抗氧化机制和组织保护对西咪替丁诱导的生殖毒性表现出显著的保护作用。羽衣甘蓝乙醇提取物（ELEBO）显示出最有效的活性，支持其作为与药物暴露相关的男性不育治疗辅助药物的潜在用途。
