Abiodun O. Ayoka¹, Aderonke K. Ademoye¹, Christian E. Imafidon^1*, Esther O. Ojo¹, Ayowole A. Oladele<sup>2

1</sup>Department of Physiological Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria; ²Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
 

AIM: To determine the effects of aqueous extract of Allium sativum bulbs (AEASAB) on pituitary-testicular injury and dysfunction in Wistar rats with lead-induced reproductive disturbances.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups such that the control group received propylene glycol at 0.2 ml/100 g intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days, the toxic group received lead (Pb) alone at 15 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal route for 10 days while the treatment groups were pretreated with lead as the toxic group after which they received graded doses of the extract at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day via oral route for 28 days.

RESULTS: Pb administration induced significant deleterious alterations in the antioxidant status of the brain and testis, sperm characterization (counts, motility and viability) as well as reproductive hormones (FSH, LH and testosterone) of exposed rats (p < 0.05). These were significantly reversed in the AEASAB-treated groups (p < 0.05). Also, there was marked improvement in the Pb-induced vascular congestion and cellular loss in the pituitary while the observed Pb-induced severe testicular vacuolation was significantly reversed in the representative photomicrographs, following administration of the extract.

CONCLUSION: AEASAB treatment ameliorated the pituitary-testicular injury and dysfunction in Wistar rats with Pb-Induced reproductive disturbances.
 

Citation: Ayoka AO, Ademoye AK, Imafidon EC, Ojo OE, Oladele AA. Aqueous Extract of Allium sativum (Linn.) Bulbs Ameliorated Pituitary-Testicular Injury and Dysfunction in Wistar Rats with Pb-Induced Reproductive Disturbances. OA Maced J Med Sci. http://dx.doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2016.039
Key words: Lead Acetate; Allium sativum bulbs; Pituitary; Testis; Reproductive function; Rats.
*Correspondence: Christian E. Imafidon. Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, P.M.B. 013, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Phone: +234 8053001733. E-mail: staywithchris@gmail.com
Received: 11-Jan-2016; Revised: 28-Feb-2016; Accepted: 29-Feb-2016; Online first: 30-Mar-2016
Copyright: © 2016 Abiodun O. Ayoka, Aderonke K. Ademoye, Christian E. Imafidon, Esther O. Ojo, Ayowole A. Oladele.  This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
 

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