title: Feeding hydroalcoholic extract powder of Lepidium meyenii (maca) increases serum testosterone concentration and enhances steroidogenic ability of Leydig cells in male rats.
abstract: Although Lepidium meyenii (maca), a plant growing in Peru's central Andes, has been traditionally used for enhancing fertility and reproductive performance in domestic animals and human beings, effects of maca on reproductive organs are still unclear. This study examined whether feeding the hydroalcoholic extract powder of maca for 6 weeks affects weight of the reproductive organs, serum concentrations of testosterone and luteinising hormone (LH), number and cytoplasmic area of immunohistochemically stained Leydig cells, and steroidogenesis of cultured Leydig cells in 8-week-old male rats. Feeding the extract powder increased weight of seminal vesicles, serum testosterone level and cytoplasmic area of Leydig cells when compared with controls. Weight of prostate gland, serum LH concentration and number of Leydig cells were not affected by the maca treatment. The testosterone production by Leydig cells significantly increased when cultured with 22R-hydroxycholesterol or pregnenolone and tended to increase when cultured with hCG by feeding the extract powder. The results show that feeding the hydroalcoholic extract powder of maca for 6 weeks increases serum testosterone concentration associated with seminal vesicle stimulation in male rats, and this increase in testosterone level may be related to the enhanced ability of testosterone production by Leydig cells especially in the metabolic process following cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawate
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatoya
authors.affiliation: Towa Corporation, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morii
authors.affiliation: Towa Corporation, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Towa Corporation, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Sciences, Tezukayama Gakuin University, Harumidai, Sakai City, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Pathobiology, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D029686:Lepidium; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: Leydig cells; maca; rat; testosterone