Protective Effects And Mechanisms Of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides On Hamster Spermatogenic Injuries Induced By Diethylstilbestrol

In order to study the mechanisms of spermatogenic injuries induced bydiethylstilbestrol on adult male hamsters, and the protective effects of lycium barbarumpolysaccharide,66adult male hamsters were divided into6groups randomly, the controlgroup (A), DES group (B),1mg/kg,10mg/kg,50mg/kg LBP group (C, D, E) andVC+CEgroup (F). Except the control group, the other5groups were subcutaneousinjected DES for7consecutive days, while the control group was injected equivalentamount of olive. Meanwhile hamsters in C, D and E groups were gavaged1,10,50mg/kg LBP respectively, and the group of F were gavaged100mg/kg VC+200IU/kg VE,the groups of A and B were given equivalent amount of normal saline. After24h oftreatment, hamsters were weighted and anesthetized with ether. Blood were collectedfrom heart, and the levels of SOD, GSH-Px, MDA and T, LH, FSH in serum weredetected. The weight and coefficient of testis, epididymises and seminal vecicles werealso tested. The histopathology changes were observed under microscope, the expressionof Bax, Fas, FasL and Caspase-3proteins were detected through immunohistochemical,another testis were preserved in liquid nitrogen for RT-PCR and Wsetern blot test toensure the contents of Bcl-2, Bax, Fas, FasL and Caspase-3.Results showed that DES decreased the body weight, the weight of reproductiveorgans and the coefficients, while10or50mg/kg LBP and vitamin would reverse itsignificantly (P<0.05). LBP also exerted significant improvement on thehistomorphologic damages induced by DES. Vitamin group also had remarkable results,there were no significant difference between the high dose LBP group and vitamin group.DES dramatically decreased the expression of Bcl-2(P<0.01), and increased theexpression of Bax, Fas, FasL and Caspase-3. After treated with different dosage of LBP,the expression of Bcl-2increased in a dose dependent manner, and the expression of Bax,Fas, FasL and Caspase-3decreased, with50mg/kg LBP was the best (P<0.01). Therehad no significant difference between50mg/kg LBP group and vitamin group. Thecontents of SOD, GSH-Px decreased after DES treatment, while the levels of MDAincreased (P<0.01). After different dosage of LBP treatment, the levels of SOD, GSH-Pxwere increased in a dose dependent manner of LBP, while the level of MDA decreased(P<0.01), the effect of vitamin was better than LBP on increasing the antioxidant capacity and decreasing the accumulation of MDA. LBP may also make an improvementon the levels of FSH, LH and T in serum reduced by DES, and50mg/kg LBP was thebest (P<0.01).Conclusion: The study indicated that DES injuried the spermatogenic of adult malehamsters through decreasing the contents of anti-oxidant enzymes, disrupting thehypothalamic-pituitary-gonad axis, and activation the apoptosis pathways. However,after treated with different dosage of LBP, the level of lipid peroxidation decreased,while increased the levels of anti-oxidant enzymes. LBP also increased the levels of FSH,LH and T, and also had the function of inhibiting the levels of Bax, Fas, FasL andCaspase-3, decreasing the potency of Bcl-2. Above all, the results indicated that10or50mg/kg LBP would alleviate the spermatogenic injuries on the adult male hamstersinduced by DES.