Oral administration of Turnera diffusa willd. ex Schult. extract ameliorates steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis impairment in the testes of rats with type-2 diabetes mellitus

Kumar GG 1 , Kilari EK 2 , Nelli G 3 , Bin Salleh N 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Pharmacology Division, A.U. College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, 530 003, India
  • 3 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: nelli.giribabu@gmail.com
  • 4 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: naguibsalleh@um.edu.my
J Ethnopharmacol, 2023 Oct 05;314:116638.
PMID: 37187362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116638

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult. (T. diffusa) has traditionally been used to treat male reproductive dysfunction and have aphrodisiac properties.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aims to investigate the ability of T. diffusa to ameliorate the impairment in testicular steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis in DM that might help to improve testicular function, and subsequently restore male fertility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: DM-induced adult male rats were given 100 mg/kg/day and 200 mg/kg/day T. diffusa leaf extract orally for 28 consecutive days. Rats were then sacrificed; sperm and testes were harvested and sperm parameter analysis were performed. Histo-morphological changes in the testes were observed. Biochemical assays were performed to measure testosterone and testicular oxidative stress levels. Immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence were used to monitor oxidative stress and inflammation levels in testes as well as Sertoli and steroidogenic marker proteins' expression.

RESULTS: Treatment with T. diffusa restores sperm count, motility, and viability near normal and reduces sperm morphological abnormalities and sperm DNA fragmentation in diabetic rats. T. diffusa treatment also reduces testicular NOX-2 and lipid peroxidation levels, increases testicular antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) activities, ameliorates testicular inflammation via downregulating NF-ΚB, p-Ikkβ and TNF-α and upregulating IκBα expression. In diabetic rats, T. diffusa treatment increases testicular steroidogenic proteins (StAR, CYP11A1, SHBG, and ARA54, 3 and 17β-HSD) and plasma testosterone levels. Furthermore, in diabetic rats treated with T. diffusa, Sertoli cell marker proteins including Connexin 43, N-cadherin, and occludin levels in the testes were elevated.

CONCLUSION: T. diffusa treatment could help to ameliorate the detrimental effects of DM on the testes, thus this plant has potential to be used to restore male fertility.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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