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Ameliorative effects of Lycium chinensis on male sexual dysfunction and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

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Abstract

The root bark of Lycium chinense (LC) has been reported to have potent antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. In the present study, we investigated the attenuative effect of LC against diabetes induced sexual dysfunction and testicular damages in animal models. Diabetic animals were treated with LC (100 and 400 mg/kg) once daily for 6 weeks. At the end of the treatment, mating behavior tests were performed and the animals were sacrificed for the determination of hormonal profile, oxidative stress indices and sperm analysis. LC administration significantly decreased blood glucose level, enhancement of the antioxidant enzyme activities, restored altered sperm characteristics and markedly improved levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and testosterone as compared to the untreated diabetic animals. Furthermore, LC also improved sperm count, viability, motility, increased the reproductive organs weight. The results obtained indicated that L. chinense has beneficial effects in diabetes sexual dysfunction.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Jiangsu Provincial Platform for Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Germplasm (No. BM 2014047) and the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean (No. 201505023) for their grants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China

    Yifeng Zhou

  2. Dongtai Institute of Tidal Flat, Nanjing Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongtai, 224200, China

    Yifeng Zhou

  3. Faculty of Thai Traditional Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, 90112, Thailand

    Opeyemi Joshua Olatunji

  4. School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China

    Hongxia Chen

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  1. Yifeng Zhou
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  2. Opeyemi Joshua Olatunji
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  3. Hongxia Chen
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Correspondence to Yifeng Zhou.

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Zhou, Y., Olatunji, O.J. & Chen, H. Ameliorative effects of Lycium chinensis on male sexual dysfunction and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Food Sci Biotechnol 28, 1217–1223 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10068-018-00547-8

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