title: Effects of Betulinic Acid on the Male Reproductive System of a Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide-Induced Diabetic Mouse Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was conducted to evaluate the favorable or harmful effects of betulinic acid (BA) on a diabetic reproductive system.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this experimental study, 60 male Naval Medical Research Institute mice (20∼25 g) were randomly divided into 6 groups: control, diabetes, diabetes+BA (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg), and diabetes+ metformin (200 mg/kg). A diabetic model was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (65 mg/kg) injection intraperitoneally 15 minutes after an intraperitoneal administration of nicotinamide (NA) (120 mg/kg). BA and metformin were gavaged for 2 weeks after confirmed diabetes induction in the treatment groups. One day after the last treatment, plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone levels were evaluated. The cauda epididymis and testis were removed to analyze the sperm count and testis histopathology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LH levels increased in diabetic (p<0.001) and diabetic BA-treated mice (p=0.009). Plasma levels of testosterone (p< 0.001) and sperm count (p=0.04) decreased in these groups when compared to the control group. Furthermore, administration of 10 mg/kg (p=0.001), 20 mg/kg (p=0.004), or 40 mg/kg (p<0.001) of BA led to a greater reduction in plasma testosterone levels compared to the diabetes group. Seminiferous tubule vacuole numbers increased in diabetic and diabetic BA-treated mice, but testis morphology and FSH level assessment revealed no significant differences between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  STZ-NA can induce diabetic alterations in the male reproductive system and the administration of BA in diabetic treated mice resulted in a worse outcome.
authors.affiliation: Health Research Institute, Diabetes Research Center, Department of Physiology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahangarpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Student Research Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Oroojan
authors.affiliation: Cell and Molecular Research Center, Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Layasadat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Khorsandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Student Research Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Golshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arzani
authors.affiliation: Golestan Hospital Clinical Research Development Unit, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Golshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Afshari
keywords: Betulinic acid; Diabetes mellitus; Mice; Spermatozoa; Testis