Trihoney ameliorates hypercholesterolemia-induced epididymal histopathological changes in male rabbits

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia has been linked to weight change and histopathological alteration of male reproductive organs. The epididymis was suggested to be an early target of lipid-related infertility and can be dramatically affected by excess intake of a high cholesterol diet. On the other hand, the interest has been increased towards the use of honey as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent for various diseases. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Trihoney (a mixture of Trigona, Mellifera and Tualang) on epididymal weight change and histopathological alterations in hypercholesterolemic male rabbits and compare its effects with atorvastatin. Forty-eight mature male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into 6 groups. Two groups received standard rabbit pellet with 0 and 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney respectively while the other four groups received 1% cholesterol diet with 0, 0.3, 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney, and 2 mg/kg/day of atorvastatin. After 12 weeks, the rabbits were sacrificed and the epididymides were harvested for evaluation of weight and histopathological changes. Administration of 1% cholesterol diet either alone or in combination with atorvastatin caused a significant reduction in the epididymal weight and epididymal atrophy. Supplementation of Trihoney particularly at the dose of 0.6 g/kg/day improved epididymal weight, regained the normal architecture of the epididymal histology and increased the number of mature sperm inside the tubules of the epididymis. Based on these results, Trihoney exhibited its potential health benefit as a protective agent against epididymal weight reduction and histopathological alterations in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

Trihoney improves testicular weight change and histopathological alterations in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

“…These mechanisms are the most likely underlying mechanisms through which Trihoney with its high total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity improved the testicular histopathological changes and spermatogenesis with a subsequent improvement of testicular weight in this study. The improvements of testicular histopathology and spermatogenesis are the main mechanisms that drive the improvements in the epididymal weight and histopathology in our previously published study (Mohamed et al, 2020).…”

“…Disruption of spermatogenesis with reduction of sperm production that cause testicular weight reduction is one of the main causes of epididymal weight reduction (Creasy & Chapin, 2013). Our previously published study demonstrated that atorvastatin showed no improvement in the relative epididymal weight of hypercholesterolemic rabbits; meanwhile, it caused a worse reduction in the absolute epididymal weight than the administration of high cholesterol diet alone (Mohamed et al, 2020).…”

“…These findings are further supported by the recently published effects of atorvastatin on epididymal histology. It has been shown that atorvastatin treatment of high cholesterol diet-fed male rabbits associated with epididymal atrophy and reduced number of mature sperm with a moderate increase in the cellular debris in epididymal tubules (Mohamed et al, 2020). These epididymal histopathological changes are a common association with severe testicular tubular degeneration (Creasy at al., 2012).…”

“…This study is a continuation of our recently published study that investigated the ameliorative effects of Trihoney on hypercholesterolemia-induced epididymal weight and histopathological changes. Trihoney showed its protective effects against epididymal weight reduction and histopathological alterations in hypercholesterolemic male rabbits (Mohamed et al, 2020). To date, whether honey has any protective role against the effects of highcholesterol diet and hypercholesterolemia on testicular tissue is yet to be explored.…”

Effect of Trihoney (A Mixture of Trigona, Mellifera and Tualang) on Male Reproductive Hormones and Insulin Resistance in Hypercholesterolaemic Rabbits

“…One percent cholesterol diet was prepared according to the method of Mohamed et al, (2020). 10 Ten grams of cholesterol powder (Nacalai-Tesque, Japan) were emulsified in 20mL (2%) of coconut oil (Certified Organic, Philippines). The emulsion was then poured onto 970 grams of rabbit pellet and mixed thoroughly.…”