Fertility Enhancing Potential Of Aqueous Stem Extractof Cissus Populnea On The Cryptorchid Testes In Sprague-Dawley Rats

ABSTRACT

Cryptorchidism is the commonest congential cause of male infertility. Male infertility is on the increase in Nigeria and current available modalities of treatment are not easily accessible but also expensive. The fertility enhancing potential of aqueous extract of the stem of Cissus populnea on the cryptorchid testes and the morphological detailing was the overall objective of this research work. One hundred and eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into twelve groups of fifteen rats each. The animals went through operative procedures to create unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism . Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered cryptorchid by suturing the testis to the anterior abdominal wall. The animals were divided into twelve main experimental groups. The rats were made unilaterally and bilaterally cryptorchid, and aqueous extracts of the stem at 60mg/kg b.w and 100mg/kg b.w were administered. A delayed administration group was given the extract after 8 weeks of cryptorchidy. Others recieved ascorbic acid at a dose of 140mg/kg b.w. and intraperitoneal testosterone at 0.05mg/kg b.w. as well as co administration of ascorbic acid and Cissus populnea. At the end of the experiments the animals were sacrificed using ketamine anaesthesia. Blood was collected for hormonal studies with assays carried out for testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone and leutinizing hormone. The testes of the rats were removed at necropsy and weighed.