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Saponins derived from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng attenuate scrotal heat‐induced spermatogenic damage via inhibiting the MAPK mediated oxidative stress and apoptosis in mice
Author(s) -
Liu Wei,
Leng Jing,
Hou Jingang,
Jiang Shuang,
Wang Zi,
Liu Zhi,
Gong Xiaojie,
Chen Chen,
Wang Yingping,
Li Wei
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/ptr.6801
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , ginseng , superoxide dismutase , mapk/erk pathway , apoptosis , heat shock protein , malondialdehyde , hsp70 , glutathione , endocrinology , biology , medicine , chemistry , andrology , pharmacology , kinase , biochemistry , enzyme , pathology , alternative medicine , gene
Heat stress (HS) reaction is a stress response caused by adverse conditions. Currently, the incidence of reproductive malignancies particularly in males has been constantly increasing. This work investigated the effects of saponins derived from the stems and leaves of Panax ginseng (GSLS) on testicular injury induced by scrotal hyperthermia in mice. GSLS (150, 300 mg/kg) were administered intragastrically to mice for 14 days, then exposed to a single scrotal heat treatment at 43°C for 18 min on seventh day. HS induced a significant loss of multinucleate giant cells, desquamation of germ cells in destructive seminiferous tubules. Moreover, HS reduced the serum testosterone, testicular tissue superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione (GSH) content, while significantly enhanced the production of malondialdehyde ( p < .05). GSLS exhibited the protective potential against HS‐induced injury not only by modulating Bcl‐2 family and caspase protease family, but also by suppressing the protein levels of heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) and activation of Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways ( p < .05). In conclusion, we clearly demonstrated that GSLS exhibited a significant protective effect against HS‐induced testicular dysfunction, mainly the inhibition of oxidative stress associated apoptosis partly via regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway.