Effects of Echinacea Purpurae Extract on Testicular Ischemia/Reperfusion (I/R) Injury in Rat

Ischemia/reperfusion of tetsis is a male infertility condition which occurs because of oxidation demage. Echinacea purpurea extract (EPE) has antioxidant and protective effect.

So, the main purpose of this research was to determine effects of EP extract on testicular ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat.

50 adult Wistar rats were randomly allocated into five groups: group one as control, group two, 2 hour I/24 hours R period, group three, 1 hour I which after 1 hour of ischemia, rat was injected 25 mg/kg EPE and ischemia continued for an hour, then was followed by 24 hours R period. Groups 4 and    5 were similar to experiment 3, except rats were injected with 50 and 100 mg/kg of EPE, respectively.  Then 24 hours later, the left testis was removed for histological and antioxidant enzyme activity including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total antioxidant status (TAS).

Based on the findings, MDA concentration was significantly elevated in I/R rat (P<0.05)  while EPE diminished MDA concentration in I/R rat (P<0.05). SOD and GPx activity decreased in I/R  rat (P<0.05). Injection of the of the EPE (25, 50 and 100mg/kg) increased SOD and GPx concentrations (P<0.05). There was significant fluctuation on TAS in EPE treated groups in comparision to the control group (P>0.05). Seminiferous tubules degenerated and few spermatocytes were observed in testis tubules of the I/R rat. EPE (50 and 100mg/kg) improved testis characteristics in experimental I/R-induced rat in which normal spermatocyte in seminiferous tubules was observed.

These results suggested EPE has protective effect against against testicular I/R.