Suppression of Fertility in Male Albino Rats Following α-Amyrin Acetate Administration

Abstract

The treatment of α-amyrin acetate given orally in male albino rats at the dose level of 10 mg/rat/day for 60 days did not cause any significant loss in their body weights but the weights of reproductive organs, i.e., testes, epididymides, seminal vesicle and ventral prostate decreased in a significant manner when compared to controls. Sperm motility as well as sperm density were reduced significantly, resulting in complete suppression of fertility. A marked decline in the germ cell population was noticed. Populations of preleptotene, pachytene, secondary spermatocytes and step-19 spermatid were declined by 48.77, 63.29, 53.16 and 64.02%, whereas spermatogonial germ cell count did not show any statistically significant reduction. Leydig cell nuclear area and mature Leydig cell counts were significantly reduced when compared with controls. The seminiferous tubular diameter, cross-sectional surface area and counts of the Sertoli cells were also decreased significantly. The RBC and WBC counts, the levels of haemoglobin, haematocrit, blood sugar, serum protein cholesterol, phospholipid and triglyceride were not changed, whereas biochemical parameters of the tissues (i.e., protein, sialic acid, glycogen contents of testes) decreased significantly. Seminal vesicular fructose was also depleted, but the cholesterol content in testes was elevated in comparison to controls.