Protective and Therapeutic Effect of Leech Saliva on Spermatogenesis Parameters and Secretion of LH, FSH and Testosterone Following Busulfan Administration in Male Wistar Rats

Busulfan disrupts testicular function. Given the importance of the effects of leech saliva in the treatment of various diseases, this study aimed to investigate the effect of leech saliva on spermatogenesis and secretion of LH, FSH and testosterone following administration of busulfan in rats. Experimental 60 male Wistar rats aged 2.5 to 3 months with a weight of 200-220 g were randomly divided into 4 groups of 15 (control, leech saliva, busulfan, and busulfan + leech saliva). The busulfan group received intraperitoneal injection of busulfan at a dose of 10 mg / kg twice daily for 21 days. The leech saliva group received 1000 µg / kg leech saliva after 56 days from the first day of the experiment for 56 days. Subcutaneously injected, and the busulfan + saliva group received 10 mg / kg of busulfan saline at 1000 µg / kg saline, subcutaneously after 35 days of the second day of busulfan administration for 56 days. Five rats in each group were anesthetized on day 14, 28, 56 after injection and blood samples were taken from the heart to measure testosterone, LH, and FSH hormones. Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test were considered significant at P