The effects of antioxidants, vitamins C and E, on sperm quality, testosterone levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were studied in artesunate treated rats. 25 male rats (160 to 250 g) divided into five groups were used for the study. Group 1 animals received normal saline and served as control while groups 2 to 5 received artesunate in therapeutic doses of 2.9 mg/Kg body weight on day 1 and 1.45 mg/Kg body weight on days 2 to 5 orally. Following artesunate pretreatment, groups 3, 4 and 5 rats received vitamin C (100 mg/kg), vitamin E (100 mg/kg) and a combination of both respectively orally for the 5 days. There was no significant difference in sperm viability and motility in all groups while count significantly (p<0.05) increased in group 3 animals treated with vitamin C. Serum testosterone level was significantly increased (p< 0.05) in groups 4 and 5. The MDA concentrations were significantly increased (p < 0.05) while SOD activity concurrently decreased significantly (p<0.05) in groups 2, 3, and 5 indicating an oxidative-counter oxidative relationship. It was thus concluded that artesunate at therapeutic doses and duration had no significant effect on sperm quality and serum testosterone level in male rats while vitamin C, and combination of vitamins C and E tend to promote reproductive functions in artesunate-treated male rats.
Introduction: The African sideneck turtle (Pelusios castaneus), a freshwater turtle found in sub-Saharan Africa, recently became the focus of a number of biomedical research apart from its numerous trado-medical uses and very little consumption as meat in some quarters. This study was designed to investigate the gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserves of the African sideneck turtle, thereby generating data useful in the improved breeding of the animal. Methods: The gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserves of the African sideneck turtle were investigated using twenty adult male African sideneck turtles. Following anaesthesia and turtle dissection, the testis and epididymis were harvested and spermiogram investigated using standard techniques. Results: The mean testicular (gonadal) spermatozoa concentration of the P. castaneus was 48.50 ± 2.13 x 106/ ml, accounting for 27.5% of the total spermatozoa reserves, while that of the epididymis (extragonadal) was 127.61 ± 12.28 x 106/ml being 72.5% of the total sperm reserves with a significant difference (p < 0.05). The mean distribution of spermatozoa in the proximal, mid and posterior regions of the epididymis were 35.17 ± 8.23 x 106 /ml, 38.38 ± 5.85 x 106/ml and 54.06 ± 7.39 x 106/ml respectively, representing 27.56%, 30.01% and 42.36% respectively, of the total extragonadal sperm reserves of the P. castaneus. Significance: This report, being the first of its kind in this turtle, provides baseline data essential for a more productive selection of male turtles for breeding purposes as well as effective utilization of the sperm resources of the P. castaneus.
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