Rosa damascena Mill. Essential Oil Has Protective Effect Against Testicular Damage in Diabetic Rats.

This study investigates the protective effect of Rosa damascena essential oil on diabetes-induced testicular damage in rats. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 equal groups: Group I: negative control (no treatment); Group II: positive control (diabetic by alloxan injection); Groups III-VI that rendered diabetic and received, respectively, 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg/kg/day rose oil, orally for 28 days. Rose oil did not significantly change body weight and blood glucose level as compared to positive control. Serum testosterone level of rose oil-treated rats remained statistically the same with both negative and positive control groups (Groups I and II). Rats treated with rose oil especially at 2 higher dosages (Groups V and VI) had higher sperm count and increased diameters of seminiferous tubules as compared to Group II. Rose oil even at the lowest dosage significantly increased cell count of spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells, with better outcomes for higher dosages. It appears that short-term repeated dose administration of rose oil can dose-dependently improve structural deteriorations of testes and epididymal sperm count in diabetic rats.

Grape juice concentrate protects reproductive parameters of male rats against cadmium-induced damage: a chronic assay.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of long-term grape juice concentrate (GJC) consumption, in two dosages, on the reproductive parameters of cadmium-exposed male rats. The effects of the concentrate on body mass gain, plasma testosterone levels, reproductive organ weights, daily sperm production, sperm morphology, testis histopathological and histomorphometrical parameters, and testicular antioxidant markers were investigated. Wistar rats (n 54) were distributed into six groups: CdCl2; cadmium and grape juice I (1·18 g/kg per d); cadmium and grape juice II (2·36 g/kg per d); grape juice I (1·18 g/kg per d); grape juice II (2·36 g/kg per d); control. A single dose of CdCl2 (1·2 mg/kg body weight (BW)) was injected intraperitoneally and the grape juice was administered orally for 56 d. The results indicated that cadmium changed all reproductive and antioxidant parameters. At dosage I (1·18 g/kg BW), GJC consumption did not show the effects against cadmium-induced damages. In contrast, at dosage II (2·36 g/kg BW), the GJC improved the gonadosomatic index (P= 0·003), serum testosterone levels (P= 0·001), the relative weight of epididymis (P= 0·013) and ventral prostate (P= 0·052), the percentage of normal sperm (P= 0·001), and histopathological and histomorphometrical parameters. In addition, at this dosage, normalisation of the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (P= 0·001) and of testicular levels of glutathione (P= 0·03) were observed. The parameters of the non-exposed rats did not depict significant alterations. In conclusion, the product was able to act as a protector of reproductive function against cadmium-induced damage. Such a property was expressed in a dose-dependent manner as the more effective dose was dosage II. The GJC acted possibly by antioxidant mechanisms.