The Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Moringa Oleifera Leaves on 4 G-Cell Phone-EMR-Induced Oxidative Stresses Associated with Altered Sperm Count in Pre-Pubertal Wistar Rats

Abstract

Introduction

Infertility is defined as the failure to attain pregnancy after a one-year-period of routine non-contracepted sexual intercourse and it has become a global issue of human reproduction. The malefactor is responsible for nearly half of the infertility cases.  Currently, scientific studies associate mobile phone usage and male infertility. Earlier studies reported 2G, 3G, and 4G radiations can affect the sperm parameters and few other studies give contradictory opinions. This study was aimed to study the effect of electromagnetic waves from 4G-cell phones and to evaluate the possible radio-curative efficiency of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) on Wistar rats’ testis for one month.

Materials and Methods

 Four-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups:

 Control: no cell phone.

 Sham: cell phone in switch off mode.

 MOL-1:  gavaged with 200mg/kg body weight/day of ethanolic extract of MOL for one month.

 R1:  Exposed to EMR for 96 minutes/day for one month (4 minutes/every half an hour from 8     AM to 8 PM)                                                                                                      

 R1+MOL:  Exposed to EMR for 96 minutes/day (4 minutes/every half an hour from 8 AM to 8 PM) and simultaneously gavaged with 200mg/kg body weight/day of ethanolic extract of MOL for one month.

By the end of the experimental period, rats were anesthetized and sacrificed. Blood samples were obtained through the left cardiac ventricle and serum was separated and used for estimation of testosterone and inhibin-B. Then testes were removed along with epididymis through trans-abdominal incision and testes used for the preparation of tissue homogenates for estimation of oxidative stress markers. Epididymises were minced to extract the epididymal fluid to evaluate sperm count. 

Results

4G-EMR decreased the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in testicular tissue in the R1 group. Oxidative stress was accompanied by hormonal disturbances recorded by significant decreases in serum inhibin-B level but an insignificant decrement in serum testosterone level. Besides, R1 group showed an insignificant reduction in the sperm count as compared to the control group. In this study, the ethanolic extract of MOL regained most of the parameters to near normal level in R1+MOL.

Conclusion 

The oral administration of 200 mg of ethanol extract of MOL could revert the hormonal and sperm count variations to near normal level through the antioxidant mechanism of its active components in 4G-cell phone-EMR induced negative alterations in the testis of Wistar rats.