FSH and estradiol benzoate administration recover spermatogenesis and sexual hormone levels in a busulfan-injured rat model

Ellagic acid effects on testis, sex hormones, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in the relative sterility rat model following busulfan administration

Background

Busulfan is an antineoplastic medication that is broadly utilized for cancer treatment. It affects the testicular function and leads to sterility. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of ellagic acid on testicular tissue changes, sexual hormones, antioxidant defense system, and caspase-9 and Bcl2 gene expression in the busulfan-induced relative sterile rat model.

Methods

This is an interventional-experimental animal study that was performed on 65 Adult male rats; they were randomly divided into five groups including control (1 ml of 0.9% normal saline), ellagic acid (50 mg/kg); busulfan (10 mg/kg); and busulfan plus ellagic acid (10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg). At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected, and plasma levels of sex hormones, antioxidant system, apoptosis-related genes, and testis histology were assessed.

Results

Busulfan reduced the levels of serum testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, gene expression of Bcl2, testicular volume, seminiferous tubule, germinal epithelium, interstitial tissue volume, and the number of spermatogonia, spermatocyte, round spermatid, elongated spermatid, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells (p < 0.05). Busulfan administration resulted in a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the level of LH, FSH, malondialdehyde, and caspase 9. Busulfan + ellagic acid (50 mg/kg) showed higher serum levels of testosterone, gene expression of Bcl-2 and antioxidant markers, and lower LH, FSH levels, and gene expression of caspase 9 compared to the Busulfan-treated rats (p < 0.05). Stereological parameters were also ameliorated in the group treated with Busulfan+ 50 mg/kg ellagic acid (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the consumption of ellagic acid may have beneficial effects on the antioxidant defense system, sexual hormone abnormality, and testicular tissue damage induced by busulfan.

Riboflavin recovery of spermatogenic dysfunction via a dual inhibition of oxidative changes and regulation of the PINK1-mediated pathway in arsenic-injured rat model

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) poisoning and associated potential lesions are of a global concern. Inversely, riboflavin (vitamin B2, VB2) as a component of flavoproteins could play a vital role in the spermatogenic enzymatic reactions. Thus, this research aimed to explore potential beneficial roles of VB2 during As2O3-injured-toxicity. Rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n=8/group) and challenged as follows (for 30 days continuously): Group 1 received normal saline; Group 2 was treated with 3 mg As2O3/L; Group 3 received 40 mg VB2/L; Group 4 received 3 mg As2O3/L + 40 mg VB2/L. Both As2O3 and VB2 were dissolved in deionized water. Malondialdehyde (MDA), Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Catalase (CAT) were assessed for the oxidative profile, while TAS (Total Antioxidative Status) levels were evaluated for the antioxidant system, in both serum and testicular tissue. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results show that As2O3 significantly decreased the body weight, testicular weight and testis volume, semen quality and testicular cell count (p<0.05). Furthermore, MDA content in the testicular tissue of the As2O3 group rats was significantly higher in comparison to the vehicle group (p<0.05). Likewise, TAS and the activities of GSH-Px, CAT and SOD were reduced (p<0.05) when compared to the control. As(2)O(3) induced testicular damage and seminiferous tubular atrophy. Monodansylcadaverine assays mirrored the histopathology observations. Meanwhile, As2O3 upregulated the expression of mitophagy-related genes including PINK1, Parkin, USP8, LC3-I, Fis1 and Mfn2. The p38 gene, responsible to stress stimuli, was also upregulated by As2O3 administration. Meanwhile, exposure to VB2 led to a significant decrease of the expression levels of mitophagy related genes. Our study revealed that VB2 supplementation protected testicular structures against As2O3-induced injury via a dual inhibition of oxidative changes and a regulation of the PINK1-mediated pathway.

Antioxidant and antiapoptotic paracrine effects of mesenchymal stem cells on spermatogenic arrest in oligospermia rat model

BACKGROUND

Oligospermia is one of the common causative factors of male infertility. Some medical and hormonal therapy for male infertility is typically with unsatisfactory outcome. Stem cell therapy has become a new therapeutic strategy for restoring function in addition to inducing proliferation and differentiation of malfunctioning germ cells. This work aims at investigating the potential ability of BM-MSCs to repair the spermatogenic arrest in oligospermic rat model.

METHODS

In this work, a rat model of oligospermia was induced using two intraperitoneal injections of busulfan (15 mg/kg) with two weeks interval. Rats were divided into (i) donor group [source of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) that were labelled and transfected with green fluorescent protein (GFP)] and (ii) experimental groups that were subdivided into: GpI (control), GpII (spermatogenic arrest model), GpIII (untreated rats), and GpIV (BM-MSCs treated rats). Estimation of the testicular weight, sperm count and motility % were performed. Histological and immunohistochemical staining for inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and caspase-3 (Cas-3) were conducted. Besides, the level of the testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and testicular testosterone were estimated by ELISA.

RESULTS

Oligospermic rats illustrated hypospermatogenesis of the seminiferous tubule with spermatocyte and spermatid arrest, focal thickening of the basement membrane and significant increase in germ cells apoptosis and testicular oxidative stress. Compared with the control, MDA and TNF-α were markedly elevated with marked suppression of the testicular testosterone. Intra-testicular injection of BM-MSCs substantially ameliorated these changes and effectively improved the sperm count and motility %.

CONCLUSIONS

BM-MSCs improved the induced-spermatogenic arrest in the rat model mainly through anti-apoptotic and antioxidant paracrine effects.

NGF Rescues Spermatogenesis in Azoospermic Mice

Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays an important role in regulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. However, the effects of NGF on spermatogenesis remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the potential application of NGF with nasal delivery on spermatogenesis in azoospermic mice. We established a model with azoospermia induced by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of busulfan. NGF pre-encapsulated with liposomes (25, 50, and 100 μg/kg) was delivered via internasal administration. Three weeks after busulfan injection, NGF treatments were performed twice a week for 8 weeks; the change of sperm quality, testis and epididymis histopathology, and androgenic hormone were analyzed to evaluate sperm regeneration. Furthermore, 30 mg/kg busulfan injection caused severe testicular atrophy of the seminiferous tubules, characterized by a loss of spermatogenic elements and sperms. NGF with nasal administration could significantly upregulate the markers expressing meiotic spermatogonia (Stra8) and spermatocytes (SYCP3), restore spermatogenesis, and improve sperm quality in busulfan-treated mice by increasing the secretion of sexual hormones. The convenient and noninvasive nasal delivery of NGF may be a new potential therapy for spermatogenesis via activating the HPG axis and elevating androgenic hormones. This study opened a new horizon for NGF application in reproductive endocrine.