Ghrelin improves rat sperm kinematic parameters during abdominal position of the testis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Disruption of testicular function and arrest of<br />spermatogenesis are the consequence of cryptorchidism in<br />response to elevated temperature. OBJECTIVES:This investigation<br />was set to clarify the possible ghrelin efficacy in altering some<br />sperm quality parameters upon experimentally-induced cryptorchidism.<br />METHODS: Thirty male adult rats were scheduled for the<br />study and were divided into three groups: group 1 was served as<br />control-saline (CS), group 2 was designed as cryptorchidism-saline<br />(CrS), and group 3 was defined as cryptorchidism-ghrelin (CrG).<br />After surgically inducing cryptorchidism in groups 2 and 3, the<br />researchers gave 10 nmol of ghrelin to CrG rats for 7 consecutive<br />days. Five animals in each group were equally killed on days 3 and<br />7 after operation and their testes were taken for sperm evaluation.<br />RESULTS: Testicular weight, sperm forward progressive motility<br />(FPM), functional membrane integrity (assessed by HOS-test), and<br />sperm concentration displayed slight changes after heating on day<br />3. However, abdominal position of the testes for 7 days caused a<br />significant reduction in the percentages of HOS-positive cells<br />(p<0.0001), FPM (p<0.0001), and sperm concentration (p<0.01).<br />Although a 30% decrease occurred in the testicular weight at this<br />point, however, this reduction was not statistically significant.<br />Interestingly, HOS-test and FPM percentages were significantly<br />higher in the ghrelin-exposed animals compared to the CrS group<br />on day 7 (p<0.05). However, ghrelin treatment had not considerable<br />influence on sperm parameters by day 3. Moreover, sperm<br />concentration and testicular weight did not exhibit any changes<br />either on day 3 or at day 7 upon ghrelin injection (p>0.05).<br />CONCLUSIONS: Indeed, this function of ghrelin could be attributed<br />to its antioxidant properties and it may be implicated as a potential<br />agent in attenuation of impaired spermatogenesis after cryptorchidism.