Gynura procumbens Improved Fertility of Diabetic Rats: Preliminary Study of Sperm Proteomic

Abstract

Gynura procumbens (GP) is a medicinal herb that has long been known as anti-inflammatory and antihyperglycaemic. Recently, this herbal extract has been associated with a profertility effect, suggesting its applicability in treating both diabetes and male infertility. In this study, the effects of GP aqueous extract (GPAE) on diabetic rats were investigated through evaluating testes histology and androgen hormone levels as well as the implantation sites of female rats on copulation with the treated male rats. Three dosages of GPAE were used (150, 300, and 450 mg/kg), and there were three control groups [normal, diabetic, and metformin-treated diabetic]. Testes histology, androgen hormone levels, and number of implantation sites of the GPAE-treated groups matched those of the normal group in contrast to the diabetic and metformin-treated diabetic controls. Sperm proteomics analysis identified 666 proteins, but only 88 were consistently found in all the control and 450-mg/kg GPAE-treated groups. Four proteins, including cysteine-rich secretory protein 1, carboxylesterase 5A, zona pellucida binding protein, and phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1, were significantly upregulated with GPAE treatment compared with the diabetic control, matching the protein levels of the normal group. These proteins were mainly involved in sperm maturation, sperm capacitation, and sperm-egg interaction, suggesting that GP treatment was able to restore the fertility of male diabetic rats at molecular protein level. In conclusion, GP treatment effectively treats infertility of male diabetic rats, possibly through the upregulation of proteins related to sperm maturation and sperm-egg interaction.

Sperm Proteomics Analysis of Diabetic Induced Male Rats as Influenced by Ficus carica Leaf Extract

“…Diabetes and hyperglycemia result in the increase of endoplasmic reticulum stress [59], which causes changes in the homeostasis of the endoplasmic reticulum, and subsequently reduces protein synthesis [60]. Previous studies also supported our findings [61,62]. An et al [10] reported that no expression of the spermatogenesis regulator protein was recorded in the sperm of diabetic patients compared to normal.…”

Gynura procumbens Root Extract Ameliorates Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Damage in the Hippocampal CA1 Region by Reducing Neuroinflammation

“…Gerbils received oral administration of distilled water (vehicle-treated ischemic group) or GPE-R (30 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg GPE-R-treated ischemic groups) with a feeding needle once a day for 3 weeks before the surgery. Doses of GPE-R were chosen based on previous findings which showed that administration of 150–450 mg/kg of GP aqueous extract improved fertility [ 36 ] and administration of 25–50 mg/kg of GP stem extract (GPE-S) ameliorated ethanol-induced steatosis [ 37 ].…”

Bio-prospecting for fertility in humans: An update on herbal therapy

“…A pro-fertility agent, Sanrego, is very common intervention in Asian countries in the search for the eradication of male infertility (Luthfi et al, 2017). The plant, also called Blanco, with wide Lunasia amara diversity has been generally accepted as an alternative medicine (Kamaruzaman et al, 2018). for male who constitute about 50% of all global infertility cases (Agarwal et al, 2015).…”