title: Androgenic effects of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Ficus asperifolia in male Wistar rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Androgen deficiency is a clinical syndrome resulting from the inability of the testes to produce physiological levels of testosterone due to a disturbance occurring at one or more levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the androgenic properties of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Ficus asperifolia on normal and castrated immature rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal rats were treated either per os with aqueous or methanolic extract of Ficus asperifolia (100 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg b.w.), distilled water (10 ml/kg b.w.), 5% Tween 80 (10 ml/kg b.w.) or subcutaneously with testosterone propionate (0.5 mg/kg b.w.). Castrated rats were treated with plant extracts (100 mg/kg b.w. or 500 mg/kg b.w.) alone or with the co-administration of plant extracts and testosterone propionate (s.c., 0.5 mg/kg b.w.) or bicalutamide (2 mg/kg b.w. per os). Animals were treated once a day during four weeks. Body weight growth and relative sexual organ weights were recorded at the end of each treatment. Some biomedical parameters were measured in the plasma (proteins, cholesterol), testes (cholesterol) and epididymis (proteins).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal rats, Ficus asperifolia significantly (p < 0.05) increased the relative weights of the testes and all sexual-dependent organs whereas total testicular cholesterol concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. In castrated groups, treatment with Ficus asperifolia was followed by an increase in the sexual organ weights, epididymal protein and prostatic acid phosphatase concentrations. The co-administration of testosterone and plant extracts significantly (p < 0.05) increased the weight of accessory sexual organs and epididymal protein contents. In the presence of bicalutamide (an anti-androgen), the sexual stimulating activity of Ficus asperifolia was diminished with remarkable effects on vas deferens weight (p < 0.05), plasma (p < 0.01) and epididymal (p < 0.05) protein contents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ficus asperifolia possesses androgen-like activity through possible stimulation of cytoplasmic and/or nuclear receptors by the bioactive compounds found in its extracts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon. pierre.watcho@univ-dschang.org.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watcho
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Hermine
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meli Watio
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Organisms Biology, Laboratory of Animal Biology and Physiology, University of Douala, P.O. BOX 24157, Douala, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Modeste
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wankeu-Nya
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ngadjui
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deeh Defo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Pepin Alango
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Nkeng-Efouet
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Telesphore Benoit
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Nguelefack
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, Animal Physiology and Phytopharmacology Laboratory, University of Dschang, P.O. BOX 67, Dschang, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamanyi
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Androgen deficiency; Bicalutamide; Ficus asperifolia; Rat; Testosterone