Two months sodium nitrate supplementation alleviates testicular injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats.

Abstract

What is the central question of this study? Whether a low dose of inorganic nitrate supplementation can prevent the testicular functional and structural alterations in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic male rats? What is the main finding and it's important? Treatment with a low dose of inorganic nitrate for 2 months had protective effects on male reproductive system. Improved body weight loss, sperm and testis parameters, spermatogenesis index, and testis histology as well as increased serum testosterone levels in diabetic rats. These favorable effects may be associated with increased serum insulin and decreased serum glucose, and with modulating of apoptosis in testis.Inorganic nitrate supplementation can act as a possible therapeutic agent in diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nitrate on the reproductive system in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were allocated randomly into 5 groups: control (C), control nitrate (CN), diabetic (D), diabetic insulin (DI) and diabetic nitrate (DN). Sodium nitrate was administered for two months in drinking water (100آ mg/L) of CN and DN groups. Insulin was injected 2-4U daily in DI group. Serum glucose level and body weight were measured at the beginning of the study and in regular interval. At the end of the study, serum levels of glucose, insulin, NOx, LH, FSH, and testosterone were assessed as well as sperm parameters, testis morphometry and histology, and testicular miR-34b and p53 mRNA expressions. Nitrate treatment in diabetic rats significantly improved sperm parameters, epididymal weight, spermatogenesis, and testicular histology as well as decreased serum glucose, testicular p53 gene and miR34b expression, although it had no effect on serum LH and FSH levels. In diabetic rats, serum insulin and NOx, body weight, testicular and epididymal weight, sperm count and motility, testis morphology, spermatogenesis indices, Johnsen's score, and testosterone were significantly lower than controls. Nitrate administration increased serum insulin, NOx, and testosterone levels in DN group. Consuming water contaminated with sodium nitrate could improve diabetes-induced testicular function and structure disorders; these favorable effects may be related to increased serum insulin and decreased serum glucose, as well as modulating of apoptosis in testis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.