INVOLVEMENT OF ZINC-BASED MECHANISM IN THE AMELIORATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS-INDUCED TESTICULAR REDOX IMBALANCE BY MASSULARIA ACUMINATA

Abstract

Testicular redox balance is critical to spermatogenesis, and testicular steroidogenesis and evidence suggest that psychological may offset this balance leading to impaired testicular function. This study was designed to evaluate whether Massularia acuminata has the potential to maintain testicular redox balance and by what mechanism. In a series of three experiments, aqueous stem extract of M. acuminata (ASEMA), at a dose of 50mg/Kg body weight and Zn at a dose of 10mg/Kg body, was administered to rats at the baseline, under psychological stress, and to rat treated with dexamethasone (DX) either for 7 or 14 days. Following euthanasia, the testes and epididymides were recovered, cleaned of fat, and weighed. From each rat,   0.5g was cut from the left testis and placed in ice-cold 0.25 M sucrose solution where it was homogenized immediately and centrifuged at 2000 for 15 minutes. The supernatant obtained was stored at -20^oC until assayed within two weeks for markers of redox status. Analysis of data obtained shows that ASEMA does not have significant effect on testicular redox status at the baseline. During stress, however, animals treated with ASEMA and Zn exhibited significantly higher (p >0.05) level of SOD, GSH and CAT compared with animals that received only saline. In addition, while animals treated with DX and saline had significantly lower level of testicular Zn concentration, ASEMA-treated group significantly higher testicular Zn concentration compared with baseline saline group.  Therefore, it can be concluded that ASEMA has the potential to maintain testicular redox balance during exposure to psychology stress by maintaining Zn homeostasis during stress.