Fertility Ratio and the Johnsen Histological Scoring of Testicular Tissues in Momordica charantia-Treated Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

Abstract

Background: Fertility ratio (FR) estimates the proportion of females a male can impregnate after a constant period ofin-polygyny living.

Objective: To investigate the FR in male Sprague-Dawley (S-D) rats administered Momordica charantia (MC) at different concentrations and delineate the corresponding archived testicular tissues using modified Johnsen's histological scoring scheme.

Materials and Methods: Protocol I: Twenty 6-8 weeks old male S-D rats were randomly assigned into groups of four with each group comprising five rats. These groups designated: IM[IC]' IIM[IC]' I1IM[IC] and IVM[IC]; received 15, 25, 50 mgll 00 g body weight (b.w)/day ofMC and 5 ml physiological saline (PS) for 56 days. On day 57, each was made to cohabit with two female. The males were removed on the morning of estrus. The female rats were smeared to detect sperm plug. Pregnant rats were weighed on day zero and subsequently for seven days. On gestational day 20, the pregnant rats were sacrificed; fetuses counted and resorption sites verified. Protocol II: (Similar to I) all received same graded doses for 56 days but were sacrificed on day S'T", without mating. The testes were histologically scored.

Results: The male rats fed MC (50 mgll 00 g) were unable to impregnate the females (Not scientific, your report should rather be that there were no pregnancy recorded in female rats cohabited with the group of rats administered MC). Histological scoring shows score=6 (azoospermia and late spermatids but few early spermatids) in 15% of rats; 35% Score=4 (few spermatocytes, azoospermia or no spermatids).

Conclusions: The most evident antifertility effect was shown by 50 mgll 00 g MC. Histological ranking reflects a dose-related alterations in the seminiferous tubules.