title: Effect of Aqueous Extract from Morinda officinalis F. C. How on Microwave-Induced Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testis Axis Impairment in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats.
abstract: The present study aimed to assess the protective effects of aqueous extract from Morinda officinalis F. C. How on microwave-induced reproductive impairment in male rats. Microwave exposure injury was induced by exposure of 900 MHz microwaves at 218 μm/cm(2)radiation densities, 24 hours/day for 10 days. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to: normal control, microwave exposure model, or water layer or ethyl acetate layer of aqueous extract 40 g/kg treatment groups. After 2 weeks of treatment, sexual performance, serum levels of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or testosterone, morphological analysis of testis and epididymis, and GnRH protein expression in the hypothalamus were measured. Pretreatment with water layer of aqueous extract 40 g/kg significantly improved sexual performance, increased serum testosterone level, and decreased LH and GnRH level compared with microwave exposed model rats (all P < 0.05). Water layer of aqueous extract treatment significantly increased seminiferous cell or sperm number in testis and epididymis. Protein expression of GnRH in the hypothalamus significantly decreased in the water layer of aqueous extract treated group (P < 0.05). Ethyl acetate layer of aqueous extract did not show obvious effects on the measured parameters. These findings suggest that water layer of aqueous extract 40 g/kg ameliorates microwave-reduced reproductive impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China ; Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases of Fujian Provincial Universities and Colleges, Fuzhou 350108, China ; Research Center for Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, First Ailiated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361003, China.
authors.forename: Fengjuan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China ; Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases of Fujian Provincial Universities and Colleges, Fuzhou 350108, China ; Research Center for Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350108, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang