Morphological Evaluation of the Effects of Ethanolic Leaf- Extract of Newbouldia Laevis (P. Beauv.) on Streptozotocin-Induced Gonadotoxicity in Adult Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

The study was designed to assess the effects of Newbouldia laevis on diabetes-induced testicular damage. Forty-two Wistar rats (200 - 250 g) were categorized into six groups- control, saline, diabetic, pre-diabetic, post-diabetic and extract only, each comprising of seven rats per group, to assess the effects of ethanolic leaf extract of Newbouldia laevis on streptozotocin-induced testicular damage. The control group and others received feed mash and water ad libitum, the saline group had saline intraperitoneally. Diabetes was induced in the treatment groups following overnight fasting, through intraperitoneal (i.p.) single dose of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). The pre-diabetic extract treated group received 100 mg/kg of extract in the first twelve weeks before they were induced with diabetes. The diabetic group was induced with diabetes on the twelfth week but without extract treatment. The post-diabetic group was induced on the eighth week and had twelve weeks of extract at 100 mg/kg body weight post-induction. The extract-only treated group received only the 100mg/kg of ethanolic leaf extract of Newbouldia laevis only for twelve weeks. All the groups were sacrificed at the end of the twenty-fourth week. The effects of these treatments on the hormonal profile, testicular and epididymal cytoarchitecture of the Wistar rats were assessed. There were significant (p<0.05) changes in oestrogen, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone values and oestrogen-testosterone ratio mainly in the diabetic and post-diabetic groups but insignificant (p>0.05) follicle-stimulating hormone and progesterone values compared to control. The sections of the testes and epididymis from the diabetic group had various cytoarchitectural lesions, inflamed testicular interstitium, luminal depletion of spermatozoa and arrested spermatogenesis. The post-diabetic group suffered less severe lesions. The pre-diabetic group had testicular lumen containing matured spermatozoa from normal spermatogenesis. The findings of this investigation confirm protective effects of ethanolic leaf-extract of Newbouldia laevis on streptozotocin-induced gonadotoxicity in male Wistar rats.