African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2296

Full Length Research Paper

Recovery of spermatogenesis by Allium cepa in Toxoplasma gondii infected rats

Arash Khaki1, Laya Farzadi1, Shahin Ahmadi1*, Elham Ghadamkheir2, Amir afshin Khaki3, Saedeh shojaee4 and Reza Sahizadeh1
1Women’s Reproductive Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. 2Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran. 3Department of Anatomical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences,NPMC, Tabriz, Iran. 4Department of Parasitology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 15 June 2011
  •  Published: 31 July 2011

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that is globally widespread and infects man and animals; we investigated effect of Allium cepa on sperm parameters, testestrone level in male rats experimentally infected by toxoplasma. Wistar male rats (n=40) were allocated into four groups, control group (n=10) and T1 group that received tachyzoites of T. gondii (IP) (n=10), and Tgroup that received tachyzoites of T. gondii (IP), plus fresh onion juice 1 cc per rat daily by gavages method (n=10), and group of onion juice which received fresh onion juice 1 cc per rat daily by gavages method (n=10). Animals were kept in standard condition. In 30 day after inducing toxoplasma, 5 cc blood was collected for testosterone and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels; testes tissues of rat in whole groups were removed and then prepared for analysis. Serum total testosterones and sperm parameters were significantly decreased in groups that were infected with T. gondii, in comparison to control and onions groups. Testes weights in toxoplasma group significantly decreased in comparison to control group (P<0.05). Since in our study, T. gondii have significant effect on sperm parameters and serum total testosterones, and since fresh onion juice was used to treat this harmful effect, it is suggested that eating of onion is useful in infected man.

 

Key words: Allium cepa, testes, testosterone, Toxoplasma gondii.