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This study examined the effect of chronic administration of PDE5 inhibitors and tramadol on haematological indices because of their reported high incidence of abuse. Additionally, the possibility of reversal of negative effects following withdrawal of treatment was examined. Fifty male rats (180 -200g body weight) were grouped into five (n = 10), namely: control, sildenafil, tadalafil, tramadol and sildenafil+tramadol group. The different groups were orally treated with 0.2mL normal saline, sildenafil (1 mg/100gb.w.), tadalafil (1 mg/100gb.w.), tramadol (2 mg/100g b.w.) and sildenafil + tramadol (1 &2 mg/100gb.w. respectively). Treatment was done thrice a week, for 8 weeks and the animals were allowed access to feed and water ad libitum. Five animals were sacrificed per group, while the remaining 5/group continued for another 8 weeks without drug administration (recovery test).Blood samples were collected from each animal via cardiac puncture at the end of both phases for assessment of haematological parameters. Red blood cells (RBC) count, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution wide standard deviation (RDW-SD), white blood cells (WBCs) count, platelets count, mean platelets volume (MPV) and platelets large cell ratio (P-LCR) were significantly reduced in all the treated groups compared with the control. Following withdrawal of treatment, RBC count, Hb concentration, PCV and red cell absolute values were significantly increased in all recovery groups compared with their respective treated groups. Haematological alterations were reversed following withdrawal of treatment. However, platelet indices were poorly reversed in sildenafil and tramadol recovery groups.

Tramadol is widely abused in Nigeria and has been reported to cause fertility decline via testicular oxidative stress. This study investigated the effect of vitamin E, an antioxidant on some reproductive parameters in male Wistar rats administered tramadol. Twenty male Wistar rats (180-200 g) were randomly assigned into four groups (n = 5) thus: Control (0.2 ml vehicle: olive oil), tramadol-treated (20 mg/kg of tramadol), vitamin E-treated (100 mg/kg of vitamin E) and tramadol + vitamin Etreated (received tramadol and vitamin E) groups. Drugs were administered orally and daily for 28 days. Sperm count, Johnsen's score, germinal epithelial height and serum testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations were significantly (p < .05) decreased in tramadol-treated and tramadol + vitamin E compared with control and vitamin E-treated groups. Sperm motility, morphology, viability, seminiferous tubular diameter, Leydig cell count, Sertoli cell count and malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase concentrations were not significantly different among the groups. Histology of testis and epididymis in all groups showed no toxicity but decreased sperm population in tramadol-treated and tramadol + vitamin E-treated groups. Tramadol did not cause testicular oxidative stress but impaired testicular function by suppressing testosterone, FSH and LH secretion. Vitamin E administration could not attenuate this impairment in testicular function. K E Y W O R D S spermatogenesis, testis, testosterone, tramadol, vitamin E How to cite this article: Udefa AL, Beshel FN, Nwangwa JN, et al. Vitamin E administration does not ameliorate tramadolassociated impairment of testicular function in Wistar rats.

High salt diet (HSD) impairs testicular function via oxidative stress. Cyperus esculentus contains antioxidants and improves testicular function. We investigated the protective effect of hydro‐ethanolic extract of Cyperus esculentus on testicular function in HSD‐fed Wistar rats. Twenty‐five male Wistar rats (125–135 g) 8–9 weeks old were divided into five groups (n = 5): control, HSD‐fed (8 % NaCl in feed), extract‐treated (500 mg kg−1 day−1), HSD‐fed +500 mg kg−1 day−1 of extract and HSD‐fed +1,000 mg kg−1 day−1 of extract groups. Treatment lasted for 6 weeks. HSD decreased (p < .05) sperm parameters and serum reproductive hormones levels, while Cyperus esculentus extract improved (p < .05) sperm parameters, and serum testosterone and follicle‐stimulating hormone levels in HSD‐fed rats. The extract upregulated intra‐testicular testosterone level and activities of 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β‐HSD) and 17β‐HSD, downregulated malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels, and exhibited a dose‐dependent decrease in pro‐inflammatory cytokines, upregulation of activities of enzymatic antioxidants and increase in total antioxidant capacity in testes of HSD‐fed rats. The extract at both doses improved Johnsen's score, Leydig and Sertoli cell counts and seminiferous tubular diameter in HSD‐fed rats. Cyperus esculentus exhibited a dose‐dependent mitigation of HSD‐associated testicular dysfunction by targeting testicular steroidogenesis, oxidative stress and inflammation.

Aqueous root bark extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria (RV) has been reported to reduce anxiety among other uses. The study compared the effect of alkaloid and saponin fractions of RV on social behaviour and depression in scopolamine-induced memory-impaired CD1 mice. The alkaloid and saponin fractions were extracted from the root bark of the plant using standard methods. Forty-two (42) CD1 mice were grouped into six (n=7): Control mice were given placebo; three groups were given scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.(explain) for 5 days to induce memory impairment), with 2 of them treated with the alkaloid (0.15 mg/kg, p.o.) and saponin (0.10 mg/kg, p.o.) fractions of R. vomitoria respectively. The other 2 groups were given either of the alkaloid fraction or saponin fraction of RV. Treatment lasted 21 days, after which mice were given the forced swim test and tail suspension test to assess depression and nesting test to assess social behaviour. Results showed that latency to immobility for the alkaloid fraction-treated group decreased significantly while the duration of immobility increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to control. This shows a strong positive depressive symptom. The saponin fraction-treated group however showed a significant increased in the latency to immobility while the duration of immobility decreased significantly compared to control (P<0.05). Thus, the saponin fraction of R. vomitoria decreased depression. In the test to assess social behaviour, the alkaloid group showed a significant decrease in nesting score which indicates social loss whereas the saponin group showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in nesting score compared to control. Therefore, the saponin constituent of Rauwolfia vomitoria has a high antidepressant advantage over the alkaloids fraction.

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