Forskolin Improves Male Reproductive Complications Caused by Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

In many diabetic patients, spermatogenesis complications are frequent causing infertility problems.This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of Forskolin on male reproductive dysfunction caused by type 2 diabetes.

In this experimental study, type 2 diabetes was induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) for onemonth and then a low single dose injection (35 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ) in Wistar rats. After 72 hours, rats withmore than 200 mg/dl of blood glucose were considered type 2 diabetic rats. Forty rats (200-250 g) were divided intofour groups (n=10) including group 1 (G1): rats with normal diet and buffer citrate (STZ solvent) injection, group 2(G2): control type 2 diabetic rats with HFD and STZ injection, group 3 (G3): type 2 diabetic rats received phosphatebuffer saline (PBS) as Forskolin solvent, and group 4 (G4): Forskolin treated diabetic rats (10 mg/kg) for 1 month.

In comparison to control group, in diabetic groups (G2 and G3) some parameters are increased significantly:The blood glucose (P=0.00078), testicular malondialdehyde (MDA) level and body weight (P=0.00009) and Baxgene expression (P=0.00007). Unlike, some parameters are decreased significantly: The serum level of testosterone(P=0.0009), testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD, P=0.00007) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) levels (P=0.00008),sperm concentration (P=0.00008), motility (P=0.00009), normal morphological sperm (P=0.00008) and Bcl-2 geneexpression (P=0.00009). However, in Forskolin treated group (G4) the parameters stayed close to control values thatwas significantly (P=0.00007) higher than in G2 and G3 groups. Therefore, treatment with Forskolin significantlyimproved these abnormal changes in Forskolin-treated group.

Our study demonstrates that Forskolin is an effective antidiabetic agent, which significantly improvessperm concentration, testosterone levels, and antioxidant activity in diabetic rats.