title: Protective role of ginger on lead induced derangement in plasma testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels of male Sprague Dawley rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lead is one of the most serious environmental threats to human health especially in developing countries. It damages multiple body systems including the reproductive system. Ginger's antioxidant and androgenic activity is reported in multiple animal studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effect of Zingiber officinale (ginger) on lead induced derangement in plasma testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels of male rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty adult male Sprague Dawley rats were used in this study in four groups. Group A served as normal control, Group B received 0.3% lead acetate in drinking water, Group C and group D received supplementary 0.5 and 1 gm/Kg bodyweight of ginger respectively along with lead acetate in drinking water. Five rats from each group were sacrificed at the end of 2nd, 4th and 6th weeks. Serum testosterone and LH levels were analysed using ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After co administration with different doses of ginger, serum testosterone level which was significantly decreased in lead treated group, showed a significant rise as compared to lead treated group. LH levels which had exhibited no significant change by lead treatment, after co administration with different doses of ginger, again showed no significant change.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of ginger ameliorated lead induced testicular toxicity in male rats by increasing serum testosterone level at all durations which might be a product of both its androgenic and antioxidant properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Islamic International Dental College, Islamabad, Pakistan. fatimaehsan76@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riaz
authors.forename: Umar Ali
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayub
authors.forename: Saffia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaukat
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020939:Zingiber officinale; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; C008261:lead acetate