Ameliorative effects of Anchomanes difformis aqueous extract against oxidative stress in the testes and epididymis of streptozotocin-induced diabetic male Wistar rats

Abstract

Hyperglycemia is a central trait of diabetes mellitus (DM) and is linked to an increase in free radical generation and oxidative stress in the testes, resulting in testicular tissue damage and male infertility. Synthetic medicines are commonly used to manage diabetes; however, they are costly and associated with adverse effects. As a result, the search for a safer and affordable alternative from medicinal plants that contain antioxidants has become imperative to scavenge free radicals caused by hyperglycaemia, thereby alleviating male reproductive dysfunction. Therefore, the present aimed to investigate the ameliorative effects of Anchomanes difformis aqueous extract against oxidative stress in the testes and epididymis of streptozotocin-induced diabetic male Wistar rats. A total of 64 male Wistar rats (eight weeks old) weighing 180 ± 10 mg/kg were divided into seven groups at random. Type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) was induced by streptozotocin (STZ) and a 10% fructose injection intraperitoneally using 40 mg/kg body weight rats. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration, and ferric reducing antioxidant (FRAP) as well as 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) values were used to establish the testicular oxidative status. It was found that A. difformis extract significantly (p < 0.05) lowered MDA levels in diabetic rats. Both CAT and SOD activity were significantly (p < 0.05) lower following induction of DM and increased (p < 0.05) after treating with A. difformis. The findings of this study show that A. difformis extract could be a promising source of lead compounds for the development of a therapeutic agent to treat male infertility caused by DM complications.

Keywords: Anchomanes difformis; Antioxidants; Diabetes mellitus; Endogenous antioxidant enzymes; Free radicals; Hyperglycaemia; Male reproductive dysfunction; Oxidative stress.

Fig. 1

Induction and treatment of the different groups over 42 days.

Fig. 2

“Effect of A. difformis on A. body weight of the diabetic rats, B. relative testes weight and C. relative epididymis weight. Mean values ± SD of body weight change is indicated by points and that of relative organ weights by bars. The difference in letters on bars indicate significance (p < 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with Glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 3

“Blood glucose levels over 10 weeks of treatment. The effect of A. difformis extract on blood glucose of diabetic rats is illustrated. Mean values ± SD of body weight change is indicated by points and that of relative organ weights by bars. The difference in letters on bars indicate significance (p < 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with Glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 4

“The effect of administration of A. difformis on oxidative stress. MDA level in the testes compared within groups (A. representing testes and B. epididymis). The difference in letters on bars indicate significance (p < 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are: Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 5

“The effect of administration of A. difformis on FRAP scavenging capacity in the A. testes and B. epididymis compared within groups. The difference in letters on bars indicate significance levels (p < 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 6

“The effect of administration of A. difformis extract on scavenging capacity (DPPH) in A. testes and B. epididymis. Scavenging capacity in the organs compared within groups. The absence of letters on bars indicates insignificance (p > 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and diabetic-treated with glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 7

“SOD activity in A. testes and B. epididymis compared within groups. The effect of administration of A. difformis and diabetic drug on SOD activity. Difference in letters on the bars represents significance (p < 0.05), and the absence of letters shows insignificance (p > 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 8

“CAT activity in A. testes and B. epididymis compared within groups. The effect of A. difformis extract on CAT activity of a diabetic model. Difference in letters on the bars represents significance (p < 0.05), and the absence of letters shows insignificance (p > 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with glibenclamide (GLB)”.

Fig. 9

“The effect of A. difformis extract and on GSH concentration in A. testes and B. epididymis. GSH concentration compared within groups. The absence of letters on bars indicates insignificance (p > 0.05). Group names abbreviated above are, Normal control (NC), Control-treated with 200 mg/kg dosage (C200), Control-treated with 400 mg/kg (C400), Diabetic control (DC), Diabetic-treated with 200 mg/kg (D200), Diabetic-treated with 400 mg/kg (D400) and Diabetic-treated with Glibenclamide (GLB)”.