[Epimedium alleviates chemotherapy-induced damage to the ultrastructure and function of rat epididymides].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the protective action of Epimedium against chemotherapy-induced damage to rat epididymides.


METHODS
Fifty 60-day-old male rats were divided into a control, a model and a treatment group. Procarbazine was injected into the abdominal cavity of the model rats at the dose of 30 mg/(kg x d). In addition to procarbazine, Epimedium was given intragastrically to the treatment group. The changes in the ultrastructure of the epididymis were observed after 10 and 20 days.


RESULTS
Electron microscopy showed that the chemotherapy-induced damages to the epididymal epithelia mainly included cell swelling, local cavitation of mitochondria, tumor-like change in nucleoli, agglutination of marginal translocation of heterochromatin and cell apoptosis. The damage to the epithelial ultrastructure was slight in the treatment group as compared with the model rats. Chemotherapy significantly affected sperm concentration, sperm viability and sialic acid (SA), which were (15.59 +/- 4.01) x 10(6)/ml, (76.71 +/- 10.11)% and (19.38 +/- 9.34) g/mg prot in the model group in comparison with (10.63 +/- 3.82) x 10(6)/ml (P < 0.01), (60.03 +/- 7.54)% (P < 0.01) and (13.62 +/- 7.81) g/g prot (P < 0.05) in the control. Epimedium significantly increased sperm viability in the treatment group (60.03 +/- 7.54)% as compared with the model rats (69.90 +/- 12.58)% (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Epimedium can lessen chemotherapy-induced damage to the epididymis and protect the reproductive function of rats.
Cao
Ying-Qiang
YQ
Department of Physiology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi 710061, China. caoyingqiang55@163.com
Ma
Si-Min
SM
Fan
Xiao-Li
XL
Lin
Yuan-Xi
YX
Chen
Ming-Xia
MX
Song
Xin-Ai
XA
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D034181:Epimedium / Q000737:chemistry*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal