Insulin, pioglitazone and Zingiber officinale administrations improve proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining effects on diabetic and insulin resistant rat testis

Abstract

This study accessed the effects of hypoglycaemic drugs on spermatogenesis in diabetic and insulin resistant rat testis following proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining. Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats (120-140 g) were randomly divided into 5 groups. Group 1 served as control group; fed on normal rat pellets. Group 2 served as streptozotocin-insulin treated group; received a single dose IP Injection of streptozotocin 45 mg/kg BW in Na+ citrate buffer pH 4.5 and treated with insulin sub-cutaneously. Group 3 served as streptozotocin-ginger treated group; received a single dose IP injection of streptozotocin as in group 2 above and treated with 500 mg/Kg ginger extract orally. Group 4 served as Insulin resistant-pioglitazone treated group; fed ad libitum on a special diet containing 25% fructose mixed with 75% normal rat chow (w/w) and treated with Pioglitazone 15 mg/kg orally. Group 5 served as Insulin resistant-ginger treated group; fed ad libitum on a special diet as in group 4 above, and also treated with 500 mg/Kg ginger extract orally. Following hyperglycemia confirmation, animals were perfused with 4% Paraformaldehyde (PFA). Testes were isolated, and fixed in 4% PFA overnight, embedded in paraffin, 5μm thick sections were made and mounted on poly-L-lysine coated slides. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out on positively charged slides using PCNA as primary antibody. The results showed that insulin, pioglitazone and ginger administrations ameliorated the diabetic and insulin resistant effects on spermatogenesis in male rats. The precise interplay of hypothalamic, pituitary and steroid hormones is subject for further study in these group of animals. J. Exp. Clin. Med., 2013; 30:49-55