Effects of Moringa oleifera Lam Extract (MOLE) in the heat shock protein 70 expression and germ cell apoptosis on experimentally induced cryptorchid testes of rats

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) is a plant known for having high antioxidant potency, anticancer, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective etc. and many more activities. Besides these, Moringaceae has the potential for attenuating the male sexual dysfunction. Reactive oxygen species/ROS were increased in cryptorchidism and therefore cause infertility by damaging sperm DNA and germ cell apoptosis. There was an increase in heat shock proteins (HSP) in cells, which is affected by heat shock. In the present study, the antioxidant effects of two different doses of M. oleifera Lam Extract (MOLE) on experimentally induced cryptorchid testes of rats was investigated. Forty two male rats (16 days old) were divided into four groups: a normal control group, a cryptorchidism-induced control group and two cryptorchidism-induced groups treated orally with either 400 or 800 mg/kg MOLE for 2 weeks. Our study showed that there were ruptures from interstitial spaces, separation of the germ cells from basal membrane, falling of the germ cells into the lumen, perivascular fibrosis, oedema, increased level of HSP70, apoptosis, malondialdehyde (MDA) and decrease in the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) after the cryptorchidism. We found that pathological damages, oxidative stress, expression of the HSP70 and germ cell apoptosis were decreased in treated groups with MOLE. In brief, we can say that aqueous extract of M. oleifera reduces the oxidative stress in a unilateral cryptorchidism induced rats, and it might attenuate histopathological damages, HSP expression and germ cell apoptosis.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Cryptorchidism; HSP70; Male infertility; Moringa oleifera; Oxidative stress.