Egyptian date palm pollen ameliorates testicular dysfunction induced by cadmium chloride in adult male rats

Pollen of the date palm (DPP) has been used for long time as a traditional Egyptian herbal medicine for improving male and female fertility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect and the possible mechanisms of DPP against cadmium-induced testicular dysfunction in adult male rats. Testicular dysfunction was induced by an oral administration of cadmium chloride (CdCl2, 5mg/kg body wt, every other day for 30 days). Oral administration of DPP (240mg/kg body wt, daily for 30 days) dramatically increased estradiol level of normal rats. Co administration of DPP with CdCl2 significantly restored the reduction in sex organs weight and the decline in sperm counts and their motility as well as the decrease in testosterone level induced by CdCl2 challenge. Treatment with DPP counteracted the increases in antioxidant systems in rat testis as assessed by restoration of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Co administration of DPP with CdCl2 inhibited the abnormalities in testicular morphology, but partially attenuated the elevation in the percentage of testicular DNA damage induced by CdCl2. This study provides evidence that DPP exert a significant protective effect against testicular dysfunction induced by CdCl2 through increases in estradiol level as well as normalization of testosterone levels and sperm parameters. This report also shows some evidence that DPP protects rat's testicular tissue via suppressing testicular histological abnormalities and modulating its DNA damage

Therapeutic Potential of Date Palm Pollen for Testicular Dysfunction Induced by Thyroid Disorders in Male Rats.

Hyper- or hypothyroidism can impair testicular function leading to infertility. The present study was designed to examine the protective effect of date palm pollen (DPP) extract on thyroid disorder-induced testicular dysfunction. Rats were divided into six groups. Group I was normal control. Group II received oral DPP extract (150 mg kg(-1)), group III (hyperthyroid group) received intraperitoneal injection of L-thyroxine (L-T4, 300 μg kg(-1); i.p.), group IV received L-T4 plus DPP extract, group V (hypothyroid group) received propylthiouracil (PTU, 10 mg kg(-1); i.p.) and group VI received PTU plus DPP extract. All treatments were given every day for 56 days. L-T4 or PTU lowered genital sex organs weight, sperm count and motility, serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T), testicular function markers and activities of testicular 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD). Moreover, L-T4 or PTU increased estradiol (E2) serum level, testicular oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptotic markers. Morphometric and histopathologic studies backed these observations. Treatment with DPP extract prevented LT4- or PTU induced changes. In addition, supplementation of DPP extract to normal rats augmented sperm count and motility, serum levels of LH, T and E2 paralleled with increased activities of 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD as well as testicular antioxidant status. These results provide evidence that DPP extract may have potential protective effects on testicular dysfunction induced by altered thyroid hormones

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on body and genital sex organs weight in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 10 rats/gp). The symbols</p><p>* and</p><p>** represent statistical significant at <i>p</i>< 0.05 and <i>p</i>< 0.01, respectively.</p><p>^<b>a</b>: significant difference from normal control values,</p><p>^<b>b</b>: significant difference from Ext values,</p><p>^<b>c</b>: significant difference from L-T4 values and</p><p>^<b>d</b>: significant difference from PTU values.</p><p>Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on body and genital sex organs weight in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.</p

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on: (A) seminiferous tubules (ST) diameter and (B) ST epithelial height as well as (C) Leydig cell count in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 10 rats/gp). The symbols * and ** represent statistical significant at <i>p</i><0.05 and <i>p</i><0.01, respectively. ^<b>a</b>: significant difference from normal control values, ^<b>b</b>: significant difference from Ext values, ^<b>c</b>: significant difference from L-T4 values and ^<b>d</b>: significant difference from PTU values.</p

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on: (A) Caspase-3 and (B) Fas-L immunoreactivity of testicular cells in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 10 rats/gp). The symbols * and ** represent statistical significant at <i>p</i><0.05 and <i>p</i><0.01, respectively. ^<b>a</b>: significant difference from normal control values, ^<b>b</b>: significant difference from Ext values, ^<b>c</b>: significant difference from L-T4 values and ^<b>d</b>: significant difference from PTU values.</p

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on DNA damage of testicular cells in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The testicular DNA damage was measured by comet assay. (A) Control (Cont.) and (B) Ext groups show most of cells with intact DNA, (C) L-T4 and (D) PTU groups show cells with high degree of damaged DNA as well as (E) Ext+L-T4 and (F) Ext+PTU groups show cells with low degree of damaged DNA.</p

Photomicrographs of rat testes stained with Fas-L immunostain (200x).

<p>(A) Control (Cont.) and (B) DPP-extract (Ext) groups show weak immunostain. (C) L-T4 and (D) PTU groups show strong positive immunostain (arrows). (E) L-T4+Ext and (F) PTU+Ext groups show weak immunostain.</p

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on testicular activity of: (A) 3β-hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) and (B) 17β-hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 10 rats/gp). The symbols * and ** represent statistical significant at <i>p</i><0.05 and <i>p</i><0.01, respectively. ^<b>a</b>: significant difference from normal control values, ^<b>b</b>: significant difference from Ext values, ^<b>c</b>: significant difference from L-T4 values and ^<b>d</b>: significant difference from PTU values.</p

Effect of DPP extract (Ext) on sperm (A): count and (B): motility in normal, L-T4- and PTU-treated rats.

<p>The data are presented as mean ± SEM (n = 10 rats/gp). The symbols * and ** represent statistical significant at <i>p</i><0.05 and <i>p</i><0.01, respectively. ^<b>a</b>: significant difference from normal control values, ^<b>b</b>: significant difference from Ext values, ^<b>c</b>: significant difference from L-T4 values and ^<b>d</b>: significant difference from PTU values.</p

The severity of histopathological alteration in testicular tissue of different experimental groups.

<p><b>+++ Sever, ++ Moderate, + Mild,—Nil.</b></p><p>The severity of histopathological alteration in testicular tissue of different experimental groups.</p