title: Effects of garlic fractions consumption on male reproductive functions.
abstract: Many researchers have focused on the preventive and curative effects of garlic (Allium sativum), particularly on cardiovascular diseases and cancer. However, its impacts on the male reproductive system have not been clearly defined. In this study, the effect of chronic consumption of two garlic fractions was tested: one soluble in water (aqueous solution obtained by grinding and centrifugation) and the other one precipitated by ethanol (alcoholic precipitate obtained by precipitation of the aqueous solution), on different variables of male rats' reproductive functions. These two fractions were targeted to try to identify the nature of the active garlic compounds responsible for the different modifications observed on testicular parameters. The observation of seminiferous tubules of rats treated with garlic fractions showed an increased number of tubules deprived of spermatozoa. In addition, garlic fractions induced apoptosis of testicular germ cells (TdT-mediated dUTP-X nick-end labeling [TUNEL] approach) and a decrease of serum testosterone levels and seminiferous tubule DNA concentrations. In summary, our histological and molecular results suggest that one or several substances, soluble in water and precipitated by alcohol, impaired spermatogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit no 01/UR/08-07 (Disruption of the Balance Between Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis), Faculty of Medicine, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia. hammamiimen@hotmail.fr
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hammami
authors.forename: Afef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nahdi
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atig
authors.forename: Wided
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kouidhi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amri
authors.forename: Mehrzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokni
authors.forename: Ahmed El
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Michèle El
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: May
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts