Partial Inhibitory Effect of Ethanol Extract of Lepidagathis alopecuroides (Vahl) on Spermatogenesis in Sprague-Dawley Rats

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of Lepidagathis alopecuroides on spermatogenesis in mammalian system. Thirty-six adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this investigation and were divided into six groups of six rats each (A-F). Groups B-F were administered ethanol extracts of L. alopecuroides orally at a daily dose of 50-250 mg/kg body weight respectively, for 35 days. Testicular sections 5 : thickwere embedded with paraffin and stained according to standard Hematoxylineosin protocol. Computer-assisted histometric analysis was carried out on testicular seminiferous epithelium. Morphometric evaluation of the reproductive organs showed that there was significant (p<0.05) reduction in paired testes weights of the treated rats at higher concentrations, while the body weight, epididymal and Tunica albuginea weights were comparable (p>0.05) to those of the control rats. From analysis of the volumetric proportions of spermatogenic cells, extract interfered with the spermatogenic process in the treated rats inducing over 50% reduction in the number of preleptotene/leptotene primary spermatocytes, 57% decline in the number of advance primary spermatocytes at pachytene, about 60% reduction of secondary spermatocytes and 80% decrease in the expected number of spermatids against the number of spermatogonia. The progressive decline in the number of the various spermatogenic elements on critical examination of the seminiferous epithelium especially at concentrations 200-250 mg/kg bodyweight and the reduction of the spermatogenic efficiency to 20% shows that Lepidagathis alopecuroides possesses anti-spermatogenic properties in rats without the accompanying systemic toxicity reported in the catfish Clarias gariepinus.