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The Effects of Ficus carica on Male and Female Reproductive Capabilities in Rats. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:1799431. [PMID: 36317103 PMCID: PMC9617696 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1799431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The basic purpose of pharmacology is to look into the benefits of natural remedies and make them available to the general populace. Herbal medicines are now considered to be the future of humanity. The current study explored the effects of Ficus carica (FC) extract in rats of two-generation F0 (parents) and F1 (offspring) in either sex. The F. carica extract was initially tested for acute and sub-chronic toxicity. Extracts were also tested for fertility assessment and effects on reproductive hormones like follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), estradiol, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), insulin, progesterone, and prolactin. The antioxidant activity of the extract was also evaluated by testing mRNA expressions of SOD2, GPX1, CAT, and GR in male testes and female ovaries. The animals treated with 100 mg/kg FC extract produced a more pronounced fertility effect in both genders. Expression of CAT, SOD2, GPX1, and GR was found to be increased in the reproductive organs of both sexes. Histology of the testes reveals increased spermatogenesis and increased folliculogenesis in ovaries. The hormone profile showed an increase in FSH, DHT, estradiol, and DHEAS levels in males and FSH, LH, estrogen, and DHEAS in females. The results of the study establish the effectiveness of natural products in improving fertility issues in either sex.
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Jiang Q, Linn T, Drlica K, Shi L. Diabetes as a potential compounding factor in COVID-19-mediated male subfertility. Cell Biosci 2022; 12:35. [PMID: 35307018 PMCID: PMC8934536 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-022-00766-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent work indicates that male fertility is compromised by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Direct effects derive from the presence of viral entry receptors (ACE2 and/or CD147) on the surface of testicular cells, such as spermatocytes, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells. Indirect effects on testis and concentrations of male reproductive hormones derive from (1) virus-stimulated inflammation; (2) viral-induced diabetes, and (3) an interaction between diabetes and inflammation that exacerbates the deleterious effect of each perturbation. Reproductive hormones affected include testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. Reduction of male fertility is also observed with other viral infections, but the global pandemic of COVID-19 makes demographic and public health implications of reduced male fertility of major concern, especially if it occurs in the absence of serious symptoms that would otherwise encourage vaccination. Clinical documentation of COVID-19-associated male subfertility is now warranted to obtain quantitative relationships between infection severity and subfertility; mechanistic studies using animal models may reveal ways to mitigate the problem. In the meantime, the possibility of subfertility due to COVID-19 should enter considerations of vaccine hesitancy by reproductive-age males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingkui Jiang
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
| | - Thomas Linn
- grid.8664.c0000 0001 2165 8627Clinical Research Unit, Centre of Internal Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University (JLU), Giessen, Germany
| | - Karl Drlica
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
| | - Lanbo Shi
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ USA
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Makoolati Z, Bahrami H, Zamanzadeh Z, Mahaldashtian M, Moulazadeh A, Ebrahimi L, Naghdi M. Efficacy of Ficus carica leaf extract on morphological and molecular behavior of mice germ stem cells. Anim Reprod 2022; 19:e20220036. [PMID: 36060818 PMCID: PMC9417092 DOI: 10.1590/1984-3143-ar2022-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infertility is one of the most prevalent health disorders in reproductive-age males and females. Ficus carica (Fc), an herbal plant, has been used traditionally for the treatment of different diseases such as infertility especially in Iranian folk medicine. This study examined the effects of Fc leaf extract on the proliferation of mice spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Phenolic, flavonoid content, major polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated respectively by Folin-Ciocateu, aluminum chloride, HPLC and the FRAP and DPPH methods. Testicular cells of neonate mice were extracted and their identity was confirmed using cytokeratin for Sertoli and Oct-4, CDHI and PLZF for SSCs. Effects of Fc (0.0875, 0.175, 0.35, 0.71 and 1.42 mg/ml) was evaluated at third, 7th, 9th and 14th days of culture by colony assay. The expression of the Mvh, GFRα1 and Oct-4 genes and the viability and proliferation of cultured cells was assessed at the end of the culture period. The extract has a rich phenolic and flavonoid content such as Rutin, Psoralen, Bergapten and Caffeoylmalic acid using HPLC analysis. It also had a potent reducing and radical scavenging activity. Morphology of colonies was similar in all groups. Higher viability, proliferation, colony number and diameter of SSCs was seen in the presence of Fc leaf extract in a dose-dependent manner so that higher number and diameter of colonies were observed in two higher doses of 0.71 and 1.42 mg/ml, separately for each time point relative to other groups. The Mvh, Oct-4 and GFRα1 genes expression had no significant differences between groups. It seems that Fc leaf extract not only had no any cytotoxic effects on the viability and proliferation of SSCs but also support their stemness state. So, this culture system can be employed for enrichment of germ stem cells for use in clinical applications.
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Dana P, Hayati Roodbari N, Yaghmaei P, Hajebrahimi Z. Effects of empagliflozin on the expression of kisspeptin gene and reproductive system function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1059942. [PMID: 36479221 PMCID: PMC9719967 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1059942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main health concerns of diabetes is testicular dysfunction and impairment of reproductive function and sperm quality which can cause male infertility. kisspeptin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide hormone that is involved in the regulation of energy metabolism, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and reproductive function. In the present study, the therapeutic effects of empagliflozin (sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors) on kisspeptin expression along with reproductive function were investigated in diabetic male Wistar rats. Diabetes was induced by a single dose injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin. Empagliflozin in doses of 10 and 25 mg/kg body weight was used for 8 weeks. Serum samples, testis, epididymis, and pancreas tissues were collected at the end of the experiments. Lipid profiles, oxidative stress markers, blood hormones, expression of kisspeptin along with pathological alterations of the testis were assayed using real-time PCR, biochemical, and histological technics. Data have shown that empagliflozin improved hyperglycemia, reproductive impairment, oxidative stress condition, and histopathological alterations of pancreatic and testis tissues in diabetic animals. It improved the serum levels of sex hormones, insulin, leptin, and the expression of kisspeptin in the testes tissues. Spermatogenesis is also improved in treated animals. Data indicated that the administration of empagliflozin can ameliorate symptoms of diabetes. It probably has promising antidiabetic potential and may improve the male infertility of diabetic subjects. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence for the potential impact of empagliflozin on kisspeptin expression in diabetic male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Dana
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasim Hayati Roodbari
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- *Correspondence: Nasim Hayati Roodbari,
| | - Parichehreh Yaghmaei
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Hajebrahimi
- A&S Research Institute, Ministry of Science Research and Technology, Tehran, Iran
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Suleiman JB, Abu Bakar AB, Noor MM, Nna VU, Othman ZA, Zakaria Z, Eleazu CO, Mohamed M. Bee bread mitigates downregulation of steroidogenic genes, decreased spermatogenesis, and epididymal oxidative stress in male rats fed with high-fat diet. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2021; 321:E351-E366. [PMID: 34229480 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00093.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pituitary-gonadal axis plays an important role in steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, and by extension, fertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role of bee bread, a natural bee product, against obesity-induced decreases in steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis. Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 200 and 300 g were divided into four groups (n = 8/group), namely: normal control (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD plus bee bread administered concurrently for 12 wk (HFD + B), HFD plus orlistat administered concurrently for 12 wk (HFD + O) groups. Bee bread (0.5 g/kg) or orlistat (10 mg/kg/day) was suspended in distilled water and given by oral gavage daily for 12 wk. Levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and adiponectin, as well as sperm count, motility, viability, normal morphology, and epididymal antioxidants decreased, whereas levels of leptin, malondialdehyde, and sperm nDNA fragmentation increased significantly in the HFD group relative to the NC group. There were significant decreases in the testicular mRNA transcript levels of androgen receptor, luteinizing hormone receptor, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cytochrome P450 enzyme, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) and 17β-HSD in the testes of the HFD group. Furthermore, mount, intromission and ejaculatory latencies increased, and penile cGMP level decreased significantly in the HFD group. Supplementation with bee bread significantly reduced leptin level and increased adiponectin level, enhanced sperm parameters and reduced sperm nDNA fragmentation, upregulated the levels of steroidogenic genes and proteins in HFD-induced obese male rats. Bee bread improved steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis by upregulating steroidogenic genes. Therefore, bee bread may be considered as a potential supplementation to protect against infertility in overweight men or men with obesity.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The high-fat diet utilized in the present study induced obesity in the male rats. Bee bread supplementation mitigated impaired steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis, mating behavior, and fertility potential by counteracting the downregulation of steroidogenic genes, thus increasing testosterone levels and suppressing epididymal oxidative stress. These benefits may be due to the abundance of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in bee bread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Bagi Suleiman
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
- Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Afikpo, Nigeria
| | - Ainul Bahiyah Abu Bakar
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Mahanem Mat Noor
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Victor Udo Nna
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Zaidatul Akmal Othman
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
- Unit of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Zaida Zakaria
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Chinedum Ogbonnaya Eleazu
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Nigeria
| | - Mahaneem Mohamed
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
- Unit of Integrative Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
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Shahinuzzaman M, Yaakob Z, Anuar FH, Akhtar P, Kadir NHA, Hasan AKM, Sobayel K, Nour M, Sindi H, Amin N, Sopian K, Akhtaruzzaman M. In vitro antioxidant activity of Ficus carica L. latex from 18 different cultivars. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10852. [PMID: 32616768 PMCID: PMC7331616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67765-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
As synthetic antioxidants that are widely used in foods are known to cause detrimental health effects, studies on natural additives as potential antioxidants are becoming increasingly important. In this work, the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of Ficus carica Linn latex from 18 cultivars were investigated. The TPC of latex was calculated using the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were used for antioxidant activity assessment. The bioactive compounds from F. carica latex were extracted via maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with 75% ethanol as solvent. Under the same extraction conditions, the latex of cultivar ‘White Genoa’ showed the highest antioxidant activity of 65.91% ± 1.73% and 61.07% ± 1.65% in DPPH, 98.96% ± 1.06% and 83.04% ± 2.16% in ABTS, and 27.08 ± 0.34 and 24.94 ± 0.84 mg TE/g latex in FRAP assay via maceration and UAE, respectively. The TPC of ‘White Genoa’ was 315.26 ± 6.14 and 298.52 ± 9.20 µg GAE/mL via the two extraction methods, respectively. The overall results of this work showed that F. carica latex is a potential natural source of antioxidants. This finding is useful for further advancements in the fields of food supplements, food additives and drug synthesis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Shahinuzzaman
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. .,Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Zahira Yaakob
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Farah Hannan Anuar
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Parul Akhtar
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - N H A Kadir
- School of Fundamental Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - A K Mahmud Hasan
- Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - K Sobayel
- Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Majid Nour
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hatem Sindi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nowshad Amin
- Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (@The National Energy University), Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - K Sopian
- Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Md Akhtaruzzaman
- Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. .,Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8573, Japan.
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