Bauhinia forficata is a medicinal plant that has flavonoid components with hypoglycemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiviral and anti‐inflammatory action. Aim of this study is to evaluate the action of B. forficata alcoholic extract in the male genital system of adult male Wistar rats. For that, 20 adult male Wistar rats were distributed into two experimental groups: the B. forficata group, receiving B. forficata alcoholic extract (0.1 ml/10 g body weight/day) on alternate days, and the control group, receiving just the vehicle for 30 days straight both via gavage. On the 31st day, the animals were euthanized, and the testis and epididymis were collected for histopathological, biochemical, morphometric, and sperm count analysis. Mass spectrometry identified new compounds in the extract: trans‐caffeic acid, liquiritigenin, gallocatechin, and 2,4,6‐trihydroxyphenanthren‐2‐glycoside. Biochemical analysis showed higher total cholesterol levels in the testis and lower malondialdehyde levels in the testis and epididymis, in the B. forficata group. The mast cell count showed a reduction in degranulated mast cells in the caput region of the epididymis, in the B. forficata group. The luminal compartment of the caput and the epithelial of the epididymis cauda were reduced, whereas the stromal region of the epididymis caput was increased in the B. forficata group, compared with the control group. The testicular tissue was less impaired, considering that all the histological analyses were similar to the control. We believe that B. forficata alcoholic extract in the male genital system showed antioxidant action, especially in the epididymal tissue.

Puberty is characterized by psychosomatic alterations, whereas chronic ethanol consumption is associated with morphophysiological changes in the male reproductive system. The purpose of this study was to show the toxic effects on testis and epididymal morphophysiology after ethanol administration during peripuberty. To this end, male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: ethanol (E) group: received a 2 g dose of ethanol/kg in 25% (v/v); and control (C) group: received the same volume of filtered water; both were treated by gavage for 54 days. On the 55th day of the experiment, epididymis, and testis were collected for sperm count, histopathology, mast cell count, and morphometry. The vas deferens was collected for sperm motility analysis. The femur and testicle were used for cytogenetic analysis. Ethanol exposure caused reduction in daily sperm production (DSP) and in sperm motility, multinucleated cells or those having no chromosomal content, and late chromosome migrations. No changes were observed in the number of chromosomes in the mitotic analysis. However, some alterations could be seen in meiocytes at different stages of cell division. Stereological analysis of the epididymis indicated reorganization of its component in the 2A and 5A/B regions. The epididymal cauda had greater recruitment, and both degranulated and full mast cells showed an increase in the initial segment, in the ethanol group. In conclusion, ethanol administration during the pubertal phase affects epididymis and testis in adult rats, as indicated mainly by our new findings related to mast cell number and meiotic impact. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:541-549, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Obesity and absence of physical exercise are global problems that affect concentration and sperm quality in the male reproductive system. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of obesity and resistance training, considered separately or in association, on testicular function and reproductive capacity. Twenty pubertal male Wistar rats were distributed into four groups: control (C) and exercise (E) groups that received standard rat chow; and obese (O) and obese with exercise (OE) groups that received a high-fat diet. All the groups received filtered water during the experimental conditions. Groups E and OE were submitted to 8 weeks of high-intensity intermittent training. Afterwards, testes were collected for sperm count, spermatogenic kinetics, histopathology, morphometry and immunodetection of androgen receptors (AR). The vas deferens was collected for sperm morphology. The results showed that obesity increased body weight, naso-anal length, liver and epididymal fat weight, abnormal spermatozoa and immunodetectable AR. Intermittent exercise decreased daily sperm production (DSP), sperm count and normal spermatozoa, whereas the number of tubules with immunodetectable AR increased. The combination of obesity and intermittent training led to reduced sperm count and DSP, although abnormal spermatozoa and the number of tubules with immunodetectable AR increased. Thus, in conclusion, both obesity and resistance training impaired testicular function during puberty in rats; and this type of exercise has also been shown to be detrimental to testicular physiology.

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