Protective effects of Vitex doniana (Black plum) against ischemic testes torsion injury: Histological and morphometric features

Pathophysiology and management of testicular ischemia/reperfusion injury: Lessons from animal models

Testicular torsion is a urological emergency that involves the twisting of the spermatic cord along its course. Compelling pieces of evidence have implicated oxidative stress-sensitive signaling in pathogenesis of testicular I/R injury. Although, surgical detorsion is the mainstay management; blockade of the pathways involved in the pathogenesis may improve the surgical outcome. Experimental studies using various testicular I/R models have been reported in a bid to explore the mechanisms associated with testicular I/R and evaluate the benefits of potential therapeutic measures; however, most are limited by their shortcomings. Thus, this review was intended to describe the details of the available testicular I/R models as well as their merits and drawbacks, the pathophysiological basis and consequences of testicular I/R, and the pharmacological agents that have being proposed to confer testicular benefits against testicular I/R. This provides an understanding of the pathophysiological events and available models used in studying testicular I/R. In addition, this research provides evidence-based molecules with therapeutic potentials as well as their mechanisms of action in testicular I/R.

Counteractive effects of extracts of Mangifera indica on testes of Wistar Rat exposed to cyclophosphamide

Introduction

Infertility may have a variety of causes that can affect both the male and female reproductive systems. Cyclophosphamide is a drug used in chemotherapy and immune system suppression. Leaf extracts of Mangifera indica exhibit a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties which have been shown in studies, including antioxidant and protective advantages. This study evaluate the antagonistic implications of leaf extracts of Mangifera indica on the testis following the exposure to cyclophosphamide.

Methods

25 male Wistar rats were assigned to five groups with five rats in each. Group A (Control), Group B (administered 150 mg of cyclophosphamide only), Group C (administered 50 mg of extracts of leaf extracts of Mangifera indica only), Group D (administered 150 mg of cyclophosphamide and 50 mg of leaf extracts of Mangifera indica) and Group E (administered 150 mg of cyclophosphamide and 100 mg of leaf extracts of Mangifera indica) for two weeks. The rats were euthanized under the anesthetic of ketamine (30 mg/kg IP). Blood was taken by cardiac puncture for biochemical examination. Testes were excised, preserved in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin for histological investigation. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine the data, and then the Student Newman-Keul post-hoc analysis was performed. The significance of the result was assessed using p < 0.05.

Results

The study showed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the hormonal assay, including LH, FSH, and testosterone across all test groups, with group B (cyclophosphamide only) having significantly lower levels. Cyclophosphamide administration was observed to have a negative effect on the testicular histology and immunohistochemical results and leaf extracts of Mangifera indica attenuated the damage induced by cyclophosphamide in groups D and E.

Conclusion

Leaf Extracts of Mangifera indica considerably reduced the effects of cyclophosphamide-induced changes in testis.

Polystyrene nanoparticles enhance the adverse effects of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate on male reproductive system in mice

Coexposure of nanoplastics (NPs) with other pollutants adsorbed from the surroundings has received extensive attention. Currently, the combined effects of NPs and plasticizers remain unclear. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a commonly used plasticizer that has raised much concern owing to its ubiquitous pollution and endocrine-disrupting potential. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects on the male reproductive system upon coexposure to NPs and DEHP. The C57BL/6J mice were orally administrated with polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs), DEHP or both for 35 days to evaluate their effects on sperm quality, histology of testes and epididymides, testicular transcriptomic characteristics as well as expression of some important genes in the epididymides. The low-dose PSNPs used here did not induce significant changes in sperm quality, while DEHP alone or cotreatment with DEHP and PSNPs caused notable impairment, mainly manifesting as decreased sperm quality and aberrant structure of the testis and epididymis. Moreover, enhanced toxic effects were found in the cotreatment group when compared with the individual DEHP treatment group, as manifested by more obvious alterations in the sperm parameters as well as histological changes in the testis and epididymis. Testicular transcriptomic analysis revealed differential regulation of genes involved in immune response, cytoplasmic pattern recognition receptor signaling pathways, protein ubiquitination, oxidative stress, necrotic cell death, ATP synthesis and the cellular respiratory chain. RT-qPCR verified that the expression patterns of Cenpb, Crisp1 and Mars were changed in testes, and genes relevant to epididymal function including Aqp9 and Octn2 were downregulated in epididymides, particularly in the cotreatment group. Collectively, our results emphasize that DEHP at an environmentally relevant dose can induce male reproductive toxicity, and PSNPs may aggravate the toxic effects.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of genus Vitex (Lamiaceae)

Vitex, the genus of the family Lamiaceae, comprises of about 230 species mostly distributed in the warm regions of Europe and temperate regions of Asia. Several Vitex species have been used as folk medicine in different countries for the treatment of various kinds of diseases and ailments. The main aim of this review is to collect and analyze the scientific information available about the Vitex species regarding their chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. The phytochemical investigation of various Vitex species has resulted in the isolation of about 556 chemical constituents belong to various chemical category viz. iridoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, sesquiterpenoids, monoterpenoids, ecdysteroids, and others. The crude extracts of different Vitex species as well as pure phytochemicals exhibited a wide spectrum of in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological activities. In the present review, the scientific literature data on the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological investigations on the genus Vitex are summarized. More attention should be given in future research to evaluate the pharmacological potential with detailed mechanism of actions for the pure compounds, extracts of plants from this genus. Moreover, their clinical study is needed to justify their use in modern medicine and to further exploring this genus for new drug discovery.

Attenuation Effect of Salvianolic Acid B on Testicular Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats

During testicular ischemia-reperfusion, overproduction of reactive oxygen species is associated with testicular injury. We injected hydrogen peroxide (a representative of reactive oxygen species) into normal testis via the testicular artery. The experiment demonstrates that reactive oxygen species can cause spermatogenic injury. Salvianolic acid B, the most abundant bioactive component in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been reported to possess a potent antioxidant activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of salvianolic acid B on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat testicular torsion-detorsion model. Rats were randomly separated into three groups, including 20 rats in each group: control group with sham operation, testicular ischemia-reperfusion group, and testicular ischemia-reperfusion + salvianolic acid B-treated group. In the testicular ischemia-reperfusion group, left testicular torsion of 720° for 2 hours was induced, and then testicular detorsion was carried out. Rats in the salvianolic acid B-treated group additionally had salvianolic acid B administered intravenously at detorsion. At 4 hours after detorsion, testes of 10 rats from each group were collected to analyze the protein expression of xanthine oxidase which catalyzes generation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde concentration (an indirect indicator of reactive oxygen species). At 3 months after detorsion, testes of the remaining 10 rats from each group were collected to analyze spermatogenesis. Compared with the control group, xanthine oxidase protein expression and malondialdehyde concentration in ipsilateral testes of testicular ischemia-reperfusion group increased significantly, while spermatogenesis decreased significantly. In the salvianolic acid B-treated group, xanthine oxidase protein expression and malondialdehyde concentration in ipsilateral testes decreased significantly, while spermatogenesis increased significantly, compared with the testicular ischemia-reperfusion group. These results suggest that salvianolic acid B can attenuate testicular torsion/detorsion-induced ischemia/reperfusion injury by downregulating the xanthine oxidase protein expression to inhibit reactive oxygen species formation.

Different fixatives influence morphology, antigen preservation, and TUNEL staining in chicken (Gallus gallus) testis

The optimized fixative for testis is still controversial. This study investigated the effects of Modified Davidson's Fluid (mDF), 4% Paraformaldehyde (4% PFA), and Bouin's Fluid (BF) fixatives on chicken testes in normal/cadmium (Cd) feeding groups using hematoxylin and eosin (HE), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Terminal Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) staining. Compared to the mDF, we established that the testes fixed with 4% PFA and BF in the normal group had severe shrinkage in tubular and interstitial compartments. Moreover, compared with 4% PFA, the number of GATA4-positive Sertoli cells/mm² reduced by 67.61% in mDF and 80.57% in BF for one seminiferous tubule. The TUNEL assay illustrated that more positive cells/mm² in mDF group (28.47 ± 11.38) than in 4% PFA (10.49 ± 7.89). In Cd-treated testes, mDF showed more morphological details than 4% PFA and BF. In contrast, the number of GATA4-positive Sertoli cells/mm² of 4% PFA was higher than that of mDF by 65.78% and BF by 64.80% in a seminiferous tubule. The number of TUNEL positive cells/mm² in mDF (272.60 ± 34.41) were higher than in 4% PFA (175.91 ± 19.87). These results suggest that mDF fixative is suitable for normal and Cd-treated testis fixation for HE and TUNEL staining in chicken, whereas 4% PFA fixative is better for IHC examination.

Sesamol Protects Testis from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury through Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species and Upregulating CREMτ Expression

Testicular torsion/detorsion-induced damage is considered as a typical ischemia-reperfusion injury attributed to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS may regulate many genes whose expression affects cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The cAMP-responsive element modulator-τ (CREMτ) gene expression in the testis is essential for normal germ cell differentiation. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of sesamol, a powerful antioxidant, on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury and related mechanisms in an experimental testicular torsion-detorsion rat model. The type of our study was a randomized controlled trial. Sixty rats were randomly divided into the following 3 groups: (1) sham-operated control group (n = 20), (2) testicular ischemia-reperfusion group (n = 20), and (3) testicular ischemia-reperfusion+sesamol-treated group (n = 20). Testicular ischemia-reperfusion was induced by left testicular torsion (720° rotation in a counterclockwise direction) for 2 hours, followed by detorsion. Orchiectomy was performed at 4 hours or 3 months after detorsion. The testis was obtained for the analysis of the following parameters, including malondialdehyde level (a sensitive indicator of ROS), CREMτ expression, and spermatogenesis. In the testicular ischemia-reperfusion group, the malondialdehyde level was significantly increased with a concomitant significant decrease in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testis. These results suggest that overproduction of ROS after testicular ischemia-reperfusion may downregulate CREMτ expression, which causes spermatogenic injury. Sesamol treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the malondialdehyde level and significant increase in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testis. These data support the above suggestion. Our study shows that sesamol can attenuate testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury through scavenging ROS and upregulating CREMτ expression.

A Chinese herbal prescription Yiqi Jiedu decoction attenuates irradiation induced testis injury in mice

OBJECTIVE

Yiqi Jiedu (YQJD) decoction is a Chinese herbal prescription, based on an experienced expert of traditional Chinese medicine. It is used for the injuries caused by radiotherapy. The current study was designed to investigate the protective effects of YQJD decoction on radiation damage of testis in mice, and to explore its potential mechanisms.

METHODS

Mice were randomly divided into blank control group (Ctrl), model group (IR), positive drug group (IRA), and YQJD decoction group (IRY). After 10-day period intervention, they were whole-body irradiated with 2 Gy ⁶⁰Co γ-rays and sacrificed on 7^th day after irradiation. The indicators including the index and histopathology examination of testis, spermatogenic cell types and apoptosis, and the expression of TLR5, MyD88, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6 and Bcl-2 in testis.

RESULTS

The testis atrophied significantly on 7^th day of exposure to radiation, while YQJD decoction promoted the recovery of testis index and structure. Moreover, spermatogenic cell types and apoptosis had significant changes after irradiation. YQJD decoction protected the testicular function of spermatogenesis, as while as reduced the apoptosis rate of spermatogenic cells. In addition, RT-PCR and immunohistochemical analysis showed that YQJD decoction up-regulated the expression of TLR5 in testis. The levels of TLR5's downstream factors were also up-regulated in YQJD decoction group, which indicated that TLR5 signaling pathway might play an important role in the protective effects of YQJD decoction.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed that YQJD decoction attenuated irradiation induced testis injury in mice. Its potential mechanism was related to TLR5 signaling pathway.