The effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Scrophularia striata on the changes of testis tissue in hypercholesterolemic rats

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia can caused infertility with producing side effects such as the production of free radicals.One of these useful herbal remedies Scrophularia striata which native name is Tashnehdari.This study aimed to investigate the effect of Scrophularia striata extracts on histomorphometric changes of testicular tissue in rats fed a high-calorie diet. In this experimental study, 32 male rats were assigned into 4 groups including control, diet induced hypercholesterolemia (DIH), DIH+S. striata (400 mg/kg) and S.striata group: The animals in this group first received a normal diet for 4 weeks and then were fed with the extract of Scrophularia striata (400 mg /kg) for 4 weeks by the above method. At the end of the period, the rats were first anesthetized with a ketamine-xylazine combination, and after taking blood from the heart to measure blood cholesterol levels, it was euthanized and the right testicles of all animals were isolated and transferred to a tissue laboratory for tissue smear preparation and histomorphometric study. Data were analyzed by SPSS16. The results showed that after consuming a high-calorie diet in the DIH group, body weight, testicular weight, and blood cholesterol level increased significantly compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Also consuming a high-fat diet reduces the number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, and spermatozoid in the DIH groups. After consuming Scrophularia striata, a relative increase in the number of the above cells was observed in the DIH + Scrophularia striata group (p < 0.05). Therefore, oral consumption of Scrophularia striata following a high-calorie diet can have a protective effects

Keywords

• scrophularia striata
• testicle
• rat
• hypercholesterolemia