Adansonia digitata aqueous leaf extract ameliorates dexamethasone-induced testicular injury in male Wistar rats

Objective: To evaluate the effects of aqueous leaf extract of Adansonia (A.) digitata L on dexamethasone-induced testicular damage in male Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty adult male Wistar rats weighing 170-190 g were divided into four groups. Group I received 0.5 mL of phosphate buffer orally for 28 days and served as the normal control group; group II received 10 mg/kg of dexamethasone (a synthetic glucocorticoid) intraperitoneally for 7 days and 0.5 mL of phosphate buffer orally for 21 days, group III received 10 mg/kg of dexamethasone for 7 days and 800 mg/kg of A. digitata extract orally for 21 days; group IV received 10 mg/kg of dexamethasone for 7 days and 300 mg/kg of vitamin-E orally for 21 days. Dexamethasone was administered intra-peritoneally for 7 days and all administration lasted for 28 days. The rats were sacrificed by anesthesia with diethyl ether and the testes of each animal were harvested. The testis was homogenized in 0.25 M sucrose at 4 °C for biochemical and histological analyses. Results: Administration of dexamethasone significantly decreased body weight, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) (P<0.05), and significantly increased malondialdehyde (MDA) activities (P<0.05). The degeneration in the population of spermatogonia and vacuolation and abnormal widening of the interstitial spaces were observed in the rats treated with dexamethasone. However, administration of A. digitata significantly increased SOD, GPx, G6PDH, and LDH levels, significantly decreased MDA activities and improved the histoarchitecture of the testis (P<0.05). Conclusions: A. digitata may have an ameliorative effect on dexamethasone-induced testicular damage in Wistar rats because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.