The effect of lycium barbarum on reproductive system and the expression of CRİSP-1 protein in experimentally diabetic male rats

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) are natural antioxidant having hypoglycemic, anti-apoptotic and fertility enhancing properties. Diabetes-related oxidative stress leads to many reproductive dysfunctions of males and infertility. Oxidative stress can easily harm proteins which have cysteine group amino acids. Crisp-1 (Cysteine rich secretory protein-1) protein is a novel protein, expressed by the epitelium of epididimis, has important roles in fertilization. In our study it is aimed to investigate the possible protective and therapeutic effects of LBP on diabetes-related male reproductive dysfunctions and to examine the changes on expression rate of Crisp-1 protein. In this study, 3-4 months old Wistar Albino male rats were used and randomly placed into 4 groups; Sham control, LBP control (only LBP), Diabetic and Treatment (diabetic + LBP) group. To generate experimentally diabetic rats, single dose of 55 mg/kg STZ was injected intraperitoneally. In the treatment group, the diabetic rats were administered with 200 mg/kg of LBP by gastric gavage, once a day for 15 consecutive days. In histological examinations, increased intertubular connective tissue, congestion, vacuolization and edema were seen in testis tissues of the diabetic group. On the other hand, the treatment group's testis tissues were almost similar to sham control group. In the treatment group, the number of motile sperms, Crisp-1 possitive cells and serum testosterone level were significantly increased, apoptotic cell number and serum MDA level were significantly decreased. As a result, it is concluded that Lycium barbarum polysaccharides have a protective and therapeutic effect of on the male reproductive damages of diabetes and also enhances Crisp-1 protein expression.