title: Ameliorative effects of pine bark extract on spermatotoxicity by α-chlorohydrin in rats.
abstract: We investigated the protective effects of pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®, PYC, Horphag Research Ltd., Route de Belis, France) against α-chlorohydrin (ACH)-induced spermatotoxicity in rats. Rats were orally administered ACH (30 mg/kg/day) with or without PYC (20 mg/kg/day) for 7 days. Administration of ACH significantly decreased sperm motility. α-Chlorohydrin also caused histopathological alterations and apoptotic changes in caput epididymides. An increased malondialdehyde concentration and decreased glutathione content, as well as catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were also found. In contrast, PYC treatment significantly prevented ACH-induced spermatotoxicity, including decreased sperm motility, histopathological lesions, and apoptotic changes in the caput epididymis. Pycnogenol® also had an antioxidant benefit by decreasing malondialdehyde and increasing levels of the antioxidant glutathione and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes catalase and peroxidase in epididymal tissues. These results indicate that PYC treatment attenuated ACH-induced spermatotoxicity through antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 500-757, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In-Chul
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyung-Seon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Changjong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Chun-Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyoung-Chin
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Choon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D000517:alpha-Chlorohydrin / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008315:Malondialdehyde; C024070:pycnogenols; D000517:alpha-Chlorohydrin; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005978:Glutathione
keywords: Pycnogenol®; oxidative stress; protective effects; spermatotoxicity; α-chlorohydrin