Background: Nicotine consumption can decrease fertility drive in males by inducing oxidative stress and DNA damage.
Urtica dioica
L (
U.dioica) is a multipurpose herb in traditional medicine for which some anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties have been identified.
Objective: The main goal is to investigate whether the
U.dioica could inhibit nicotine adverse effects on sperm cells viability, count, motility, and testis histology and testosterone hormone.
Materials and Methods: In this study, hydro-alcoholic extract of
U.dioica was
prepared and various doses of
U.dioica (0, 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg) and
U.dioica plus
nicotine (0, 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to 56 male
mice for 28 consequent days. These mice were randomly assigned to 8 groups (n=7)
and sperm parameters (sperm cells viability, count, motility, and morphology), testis
and prostate weight, testis histology and testosterone hormone were analyzed and
compared.
Results: The results indicated that nicotine administration (0.5 mg/kg) significantly decreased testosterone level, count and motility of sperm cells, and testis weight compared to control group (p=0.00). However, increasing the dose of
U.dioica significantly boosted motility, count, normal morphology of sperm cells, seminiferous tubules diameter, and testosterone in all groups compared to control (p=0.00) and testis weight in 20 and 50 mg/kg doses in comparison with control group (p=0.00).
Conclusion: It seems that
U.dioica hydro-alcoholic extract administration could increase the quality of spermatozoa and inhibits nicotine-induced adverse effects on sperm parameters.
