TY - JOUR ID - TI - Effects of Herbs – Containing Phytoestrogens on Rat Testis: A Histological, Histochemical and Biochemical Study AU - Malak A. Al-Yawer PY - 2010 VL - 9 IS - 4 SP - 562 EP - 572 JO - Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal المجلة العراقية للاختصاصات الطبية SN - 83601608 98932708 AB - ABSTRACT:BACKGROUND:Estrogens has traditionally been known as the female hormone, but this idea has been challenged inearly 1990’s and an essential physiological role for estrogen in male fertility was identified.Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring non-steroidal plant chemicals that can act like the femalehormone estrogen. The herbs ( anise alfalfa and vervain ) chosen in this study containphytoestrogens.OBJECTIVE:Previous studies demonstrated controversy of the effects of phytoestrogens on the rat testes .Hence,the present investigation was undertaken to investigate the influence of typical dose of herbs containingphytoestrogen on the rat testis.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Twenty-four apparently normal mature male rats were divided into four groups of 6 animals each. Thefirst "control" group received only 4ml of distilled water as a placebo. The second group received40mg/kg of anise seed; the third group received 53.3 mg/kg of dried herb of vervain and the fourthgroup received 400 mg /kg of alfalfa seeds. All experimental groups received the doses through orogastrictube daily for fourteen days. Testicular histology was evaluated by light and enzymehistochemistry. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations were taken to support our results.RESULTS:Histological examination of anise, alfalfa and vervain – treated groups showed an increase in the heightof germinal epithelia. There was marked lipoprotein lipase activity in the whole of the interstitial tissuewhich is more in amount in experimental groups than that in control group. Acid phosphatase granuleswere infiltered the seminiferous epithelia mildly in control group , moderately in anise and vervaingroups and markedly in alfalfa group. The number of interstitial cells showing marked acidphosphatase activity was higher in all experimental groups than that in control group. Alkalinephosphatase exhibited intense activity in the boundary tissue of the seminiferous tubules in testes ofcontrol and experimental groups but it appeared thicker in the latter.CONCLUSION:The low dose and short duration of treatment used in our study made these phytoestrogen – containingherbs to have a stimulatory effect on leydig cell steroidogenesis. This study also demonstrated thataniseed being the most potent of the three herbs followed by alfalfa in stimulating testosteronesynthesis. This is possibly attributed to the coumarin constituent of aniseed and alfalfa

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