Effect of Obestatin on Testicular Functions of Normal and Streptozotocin Induced Type 1 Diabetic Rats, ABEER A. KHALEFA and NADINE A. RAAFAT
Abstract
Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease induces serious complications related to its oxidative stress state. Obestatin is a peptide hormone produced by different tissues and expressed with its receptors in testes and it has been reported to have antioxidant properties.
Objective: This work was designed to investigate the effects of diabetes mellitus on testicular functions and the role of obestatin in modulating these effects in Streptozotocin (STZ) induced rat model of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Material and Methods: Experiments conducted on 32 healthy adult male albino rats (193±9.14gm), which were randomly and equally divided into 2 groups, Group I (normal) and Group II (STZ "60mg/kg" induced diabetic group). Each group further subdivided into equal 2 subgroups: Group A (received a single ip injection of 100ml saline daily for 30 consecutive days) and Group B (daily ip injected with obestatin "1nmol/100gm BW" for 30 consecutive days). Serum levels of glucose, insulin, FSH, LH and testosterone levels were measured. Epididymal sperm count, motility, and percentage of deformity were detected; testes weight, testicular malond-ialdhyde (MDA) level and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) activities were estimated plus testicular histopathology.
Results: STZ-induced diabetes significantly decreased testes weight, serum insulin, FSH, LH and testosterone levels, in addition to a significant reduction in epididymal sperm count, motility and testicular SOD, CAT and GPX activities, plus significantly increased serum glucose, percentage of deformed sperm and testicular MDA levels together with deterioration of the testicular histoarchitecture. Moreover, it was found that chronic daily administration of obestatin resulted in a significant recovery of all the deteriorated testicular parameters in the diabetic group, while in the normal group, it was only associated with potentiation of the testicular antioxidant system as well as a significant increase in testes weights and sperm count.
Conclusion: Obestatin, being owns antioxidant properties and can maintain normal levels of glucose and insulin homeo-stasis, it has a protective role against diabetes-induced testicular