title: Protective effect of royal jelly on fertility and biochemical parameters in bleomycin-‎induced male rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Bleomycin (BL) is a glycopeptide antibiotic obtained from the bacterium Streptomyces verticillus which is routinely used for treatment of human cancers. Royal jelly (RJ) is a production from the hypo pharyngeal, mandibular and post cerebral glands of nurse bees. RJ consists of 66% water, 15% sugars, 5% lipids, and 13% proteins, essential amino acids and vitamins.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of present study was to evaluate protective effect of royal jelly on sperm parameters and malondialdehyde (MDA) production in rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty adult male wistar rats (220±20gr) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10). Control group (CG) received normal saline 10 ml/kg twice a week with Intraperitoneal (I.P) for 48 days (0.3 ml/rat(. Royal Jelly group (RJG) received jelly (100 mg/kg daily) for 48 days orally. Bleomycin group (BLG) received BL (10 mg/kg twice a week) with I.P for 48 days. Royal Jelly+ Bleomycin group (RJ+BLG) received royal Jelly (100 mg/kg /day) orally concomitant with BL administration. Sperm count, motility, and viability were investigated and chromatin quality and DNA integrity were also analyzed. Serum testosterone and MDA concentrations were measured as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BL caused decline significantly (p<0.05) sperm count, sperm viability, motility as well as testosterone concentration compared to control group while significant (p<0.05) increases in immature sperm, sperm with damaged DNA and MDA concentration were announced in BL in comparison with CG and RJ+BLG. Royal jelly improved Bleomycin-induced toxicity on sperm parameters and testosterone and MDA concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results support the idea that BL adversely affects sperm parameters and MDA and the RJ with antioxidant properties has positive effects on these parameters. This article extracted from M.Sc. thesis. (Tayebeh amirshahi).
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Tayebeh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amirshahi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Sciences, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nejati
keywords: Bleomycin; Rat; Royal jelly; Testis; Testosterone