An elderberry-supplemented diet improves spermatogenesis in mice with busulfan-induced azoospermia
Mohammadreza Mafi Balani A B C # , Mahsa Ghafari Novin A B # , Mohammadamin Sabbagh Alvani B C , Pourya Raee B , Azar Afshar B , Fakhroddin Aghajanpour B , Reza Soltani B , Meysam Hassani Moghaddam D , Mobina Fathi C , Kimia Vakili C , Maryam Salimi
B , Ahad Hasan Seyed Hasani C , Shabnam Abdi E , Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar A B * and Abbas Aliaghaei A B *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
B Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
C Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
D Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
E University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
# These authors contributed equally to this paper
Handling Editor: James Cummins
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 34(17) 1078-1088 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD22178
Published online: 21 September 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing
Abstract
Context: Approximately 40–50% of all infertility cases are due to male infertility, and one of the most important causes of infertility is azoospermia.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the potential effect of elderberry on the spermatogenesis process in the azoospermia mice model.
Method: Thirty adult male mice were randomised into three groups: control; busulfan (45 mg/kg); and busulfan + elderberry (2%), 6 mL orally per animal. Sperm samples were collected from the tail of the epididymis, and testis specimens were also collected and then subjected to sperm parameters analysis, histopathological evaluation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glutathione (GSH) measurement to determine the mRNA expression and hormonal assay.
Conclusions: It can be concluded that the elderberry diet may be considered a complementary treatment to improve the spermatogenesis process in busulfan-induced azoospermic mice.
Implications: Considering some limitations, the elderberry diet can be an alternate option for improving testicular damage following chemotherapy.
Keywords: azoospermia, azoospermic mice, busulfan, diet, elderberry diet, elderberry-supplemented, improve, induce, mice, spermatogenesis, spermatogenesis busulfan.
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