Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) whole plant extract enhances rat muscle mass and sperm production by increasing the activity of NO-cGMP pathway and serum testosterone

SangJoon Mo^1,3, Eun Young Kim², Sun-Hyang Choi³, Sanghyun Lee⁴, Seong Lee⁵, Jin Chul Ahn^1,3

¹Medical Laser Research Center, Dankook University; ²Beckman Laser Institute Korea; ³Center for Bio-Medical Engineering Core Facility, Dankook University; ⁴Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546; ⁵Research Institute of Clinical Medicine, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan 31116, Korea.

For correspondence:- Jin Ahn Email: cahn@dankook.ac.kr Tel:+82415503899

Accepted: 22 December 2020 Published: 31 January 2021

Citation: Mo S, Kim EY, Choi S, Lee S, Lee S, Ahn JC. Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) whole plant extract enhances rat muscle mass and sperm production by increasing the activity of NO-cGMP pathway and serum testosterone. Trop J Pharm Res 2021; 20(1):121-128 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v20i1.18

© 2021 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To analyze the effects of an aqueous extract of Sericea lespedeza (SL) on rat male menopause.

Methods: Levels of nitric oxide (NO), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS), cGMP, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the penile corpus cavernosum of the rats were evaluated using appropriate kits. Serum levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and 17-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17β-HSD) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Total and motile sperms were counted on a hemocytometer. Histological changes in rat testis and epididymis were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin staining.

Results: The levels of NO, NOS, and cGMP (but not PGE2) increased in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05) upon administration of an aqueous extract of SL (AESL), while levels of DHT, 17β-HSD, and testosterone increased in the group administered with 300 mg/kg of AESL. Epididymal sperm count increased by 24 % in such rats compared to controls (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The aqueous extract of SL improves sperm count and muscle mass in rats by increasing the levels of NO, NOS, cGMP and testosterone. Thus, SL extract can potentially be developed as an alternative therapeutic agent for clinical management of TDS.

Keywords: NO-cGMP, Testosterone, Hormones, Sperm count, Muscle mass, Sericea lespedeza, Lespedeza cuneata