Abstract
Date palm pollen (DPP) is suggested to increase the concentration of serum testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in rats. Intra-testicular testosterone (ITT) is thought to play a key role in the control of spermatogenesis but is rarely measured. We therefore planned this study to examine its effect on intra-testicular testosterone levels and serum testosterone in male albino rats. Adult rats were divided into two groups, control and experimental, with 12 rats in each. Blood samples were drawn for analysis from tail vein at day 0, 12, 24 and 35. The experimental group was given DPP suspension in a single oral dosage of 120 mg/kg daily, starting at day 1, for 35 days (dose was confirmed by a pilot study). At the end of the experimental period, the rats were dissected and the testes were removed and weighed. Testes were minced in phosphate buffer solution at a proportion of 1:10. The tissue homogenate obtained was cold centrifuged. The supernatant was taken for the estimation of ITT levels. There was a statistically significant increase in serum testosterone levels at day 24 which increased from (mean ± SD) 1.81 ± 0.05 to 2.12 ± 0.13 and from 1.82 ± 0.05 to 3.09 ± 0.22 on day 35, and ITT levels were raised from 76.48 ± 2.4 to 129.90 ± 9.66 on day 35 in experimental groups as compared to control group. The results of the present study demonstrate that date palm pollen is involved in the increased reproductive activity and serum levels of testosterone and intra-testicular testosterone. Key words: Date palm pollen, serum testosterone, intra-testicular testosterone, infertility.
Highlights
Infertility affects 13 to 18% of married couples
All experimental procedures followed the principle of laboratory animal care and were carried out according to a protocol approved by the local animal ethics committee and performed in accordance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) guidelines for the use of experimental animals
There was no significant difference between the serum testosterone levels among the control and the experimental group at day 0 and 12
Summary
Infertility affects 13 to 18% of married couples. Growing evidence exists from clinical and epidemiological studies, suggesting an increasing incidence in male reproductive problems (Kolettis, 2003; Nayernia et al, 2004). Male factors are thought to play 50% role in the etiology of infertility (Amelar and Dubin, 1977). ITT is believed to stimulate spermatogenesis directly in rats (Zirkin et al, 1989) and men (Matsumoto and Bremner, 1985). ITT is thought to play a key role in the control of spermatogenesis but is rarely measured (Coviello et al., 2004). Exogenous testosterone administration has shown to restore spermatogenesis in rats with gonadotropin suppression (Awoniyi et al, 1992; Zirkin and Santulli, 1989). The present study is designed to see the effect of DPP on the plasma and intratesticular testosterone levels of male adult rats with the hopes to add a valuable contribution in advancement to treatment of infertility
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
