title: The effect of eurycoma longifolia Jack on spermatogenesis in estrogen-treated rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little data concerning the ability of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (EL) to reverse the inhibitory effects of estrogen on testosterone production and spermatogenesis. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of EL on testicular histology and sperm count in estrogen-treated male rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were divided into four groups of six rats each. Group A (control) was given solvent in the same manner as the treated groups were given EL. Group B was treated with EL (8 mg/kg body weight) orally. Group C was treated with estradiol (E(2)) (intramuscular dose of 500 microg/kg body weight), and group D received a combined treatment of oral EL and intramuscular E(2). After fourteen consecutive days of treatment, rats from all groups were sacrificed and subjected to spermatogenic and epididymal sperm cell counts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The spermatogenic cell count in the E(2)-treated group was significantly decreased as compared to the control (p < 0.05) and EL+E(2)-treated groups (p < 0.05). A similar finding was found for the epididymal sperm count; the E(2)-treated group had a significant decrease in the count compared to the control (p < 0.05) and EL+E(2)-treated groups (p < 0.05). Rats that were treated with EL alone exhibited significantly higher sperm counts and sperm motility when compared to the control group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EL extract acts as a potential agent for reversing the effects of estrogen by increasing spermatogenesis and sperm counts in rats after fourteen consecutive days of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute (UMBI), Universiti Kebangsaan - Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norhazlina Abdul
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Wahab
authors.forename: Norfilza M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
authors.forename: Wan Nurul Heriza A
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Halim
authors.forename: Srijit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004967:Estrogens / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D035701:Eurycoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D010936:Plant Extracts