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Evaluation of the serum sex hormones levels and alkaline phosphatase activity in rats’ testis after administering of berberine in experimental varicocele

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Abstract

Current study was aimed to investigate the protective effect of berberine (BB) on the serum gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin B (INHB), testosterone (T) and alkaline phosphatase (Alk-p) activity in the testis of experimental varicocele-induced animals. For the current objective, 30 mature-male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control (n = 6 rats), control-sham (n = 6 rats) and experimental groups (n = 18 rats). The animals in the experimental groups were undergone experimental varicocele and simple laparotomy was conducted in control-sham group. 60 days after varicocele (VCL) induction the experimental group subdivided into: non-treated VCL-induced and 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg BB-treated groups (intra-peritoneally). Following 60 days, the animals were euthanized and serum levels of testosterone and testicular activity of alkaline phosphatase were measured. Non-treated VCL-induced animals indicated a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in serum levels of T and INHB and a remarkable (P < 0.05) increase in GnRH, FSH, LH and Alk-p activity compared to control and control-sham groups. Insignificant changes were found between control and control-sham groups. Meanwhile, each BB administered group showed a remarkable (P < 0.05) increase in serum levels of T and INHB and a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in GnRH, FSH, LH and alkaline phosphatase activity in testis tissue. According to the current findings, BB by increasing serum levels of testosterone and INHB increases the testicular endocrine capacity and protects Leydig cell against inflammatory and oxidant injury of varicocele. In addition, BB by inhibiting GnRH, FSH, LH and alkaline phosphatase activity, regulate the levels of serum sex hormones in experimental varicocele and reduces varicocele-induced inflammatory reactions.

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Abbreviations

VCL:

Varicocele

BB:

Berberine

GnRH:

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

INHB:

Inhibin B

T:

Testosterone

Alk-p:

Alkaline phosphatase

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Acknowledgements

We would like to appreciate Dr. Mazdak Razi, the staffs of Histology laboratory, for their kind technical support. Also the authors wish to thank Kashan University of medical sciences for financial supports.

Funding

The research grant provided by Research Deputy of Kashan University of Medical Sciences.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gametogenesis Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Hamed Najaran, Hassan Hassani Bafrani & Hamid Rashtbari

  2. Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Hassan Hassani Bafrani & Hamed Haddad Kashani

  3. Food and Drug Laboratory Research Center and Food and Drug Reference Control Laboratories Center, Food and Drug Administration of Iran, MOH & ME, Tehran, Iran

    Fatemeh Izadpanah

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Rajabi

  5. Surgical Technology Department, Nursing and Midwifery College, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

    Abouzar Mohammadi

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  1. Hamed Najaran
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Contributions

HN and HHB developed the concept and designed the study. HN was involved in subject recruitment and laboratory analysis. All other three authors were involved in data analysis and helped draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan Hassani Bafrani.

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All procedures performed in studies involving animal participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. The ethical reference number is kaums-94127.

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This manuscript described has not been published before; not under consideration for publication anywhere else; and has been approved by all co-authors.

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Najaran, H., Hassani Bafrani, H., Rashtbari, H. et al. Evaluation of the serum sex hormones levels and alkaline phosphatase activity in rats’ testis after administering of berberine in experimental varicocele. Orient Pharm Exp Med 19, 157–165 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-019-00369-x

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