title: Efficacy of echinacea on the action of cyproterone acetate in male rats.
abstract: The study aimed to evaluate the effect Echinacea extract (E) on the testicular antioxidants function in normal rats or that subjected to anti-androgenic compound, cyproterone acetate (CA). Rats were divided into 5 groups treated daily via an oral tube for two intervals 2 and 4 weeks, 1st control, 2nd E (Echinacea treated group in dose 63 mg kg(-1)), 3rd CA (cyproterone acetate treated group in dose 25 mg kg(-1)), 4th E+CA and 5th E as prophylactic one week before E+CA treatment with the same aforementioned E or CA doses. The body, testes, epididymis and vas deferens weights were recorded. Sperm count, Nitric Oxide (NO), calcium ion (Ca2+) and malondialdhyde (MDA) contents in addition to superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were determined in testicular tissues. CA exhibited direct negative effect on reproductive organs weight and significant reducing effect on sperm count and Ca2+ contents. SOD and GST activities significantly decreased in addition to significant increase in NO, MDA contents reflecting the oxidative status of testis in CA treated rats. The prophylactic effect of E treatment, in time related manner, showed significant improvement in the antioxidant status of the testicular tissue which is more pronounced as compared to E+CA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, National Organization for Drug Control and Research, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nadia M S
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Arafa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020900:Echinacea / Q000737:chemistry*; D005837:Genitalia, Male / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D017373:Cyproterone Acetate; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; D002118:Calcium