Hyperglycemia-induced alteration in reproductive profile and its amelioration by the polyherbal formulation MTEC (modified) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic albino rats

This study investigated oxidative stress-mediated alterations in the reproductive profile of streptozotocin-induced diabetic albino rats and their amelioration by the polyherbal formulation MTEC (modified), constituted with n-hexane fractions of hydromethanol extracts of Musa paradisiaca roots, Tamarindus indica seeds, Eugenia jambolana seeds, and Coccinia indica leaves in a specific ratio. We noted a change in serum insulin levels and a modulation in carbohydrate metabolic parameters, i.e. increased fasting blood glucose level, elevated glucose-6-phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase activities, along with a diminution of hexokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities in liver, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle, which confirmed the streptozotocin-induced diabetic state. Glycogen levels were decreased in the liver and skeletal tissues. A diminution in reproductive function in the diabetic state was reflected here by significant low values in reproductive organo-somatic indices, sperm count, and motility, along with serum testosterone, but high levels of testicular cholesterol and seminal vesicular fructose. A diminution in activity of the principal antioxidative enzymes along with increased levels of free radical products in the primary and accessory sex organs, as well as in sperm pellets, also confirmed the development of oxidative stress in the male reproductive organs. An increased expression of testicular proapoptotic Bax gene in diabetes also supports the elevation of testicular germ cell apoptosis in the diabetic state. Oral administration of the herbal drug MTEC (modified) at a dose of 10 mg/0.5 mL 2% Tween 80 per 100 g body weight twice daily to the diabetic rats for 28 days significantly corrected the serum insulin level and carbohydrate metabolic parameters. MTEC (modified) also corrected reproductive activities by increasing organo-somatic indices, sperm count, motility, levels of serum testosterone, testicular cholesterol, and seminal vesicular fructose toward their respective control values. Oxidative stress-mediated testicular deformities in diabetes were rectified by treatment with MTEC (modified), as shown here by the increasing activities of antioxidative enzymes and decreasing levels of lipid peroxidative end-products, along with a downregulated pattern of proapoptotic Bax-α protein in testicular tissue, without any development of toxicity. Thus, MTEC (modified) has promising hyperglycemic, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic activities for curing diabetes-induced testicular disorders in a streptozotocin-treated diabetic rat model.