EFFECT OF AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF Andrographis paniculata IN THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS AND FERTILITY OF THE MALE WILD INDIAN HOUSE RAT (Rattus rattus)

Effect of oral administration of aqueous leaf extract of Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata) (250 mg/kg body weight/day) on the male reproductive organs of the wild Indian house rat (Rattus rattus) was investigated and its activity was noticed at 30th and 45th days of post treated animals. The treatment had no severe effect on body weight and the reproductive organs weight of rats. In treated rat, testes showed affected seminiferous tubules indicating mixing of the germ cell types in stages of spermatogenesis, atrophy of the spermatogenic elements, increases in number of Leydig cells, occurrence of giant cells and decreases of spermatozoa in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules as compared with control tubules. Seminiferous tubular area, sertoli cells nuclear diameter, tubular area, epithelial cell height and nuclear diameter of cauda epididymis were reduced with vaculation and decreased sperm. The histochemical distribution of different components within the testicular tissue of 30th and 45th days of post treated revealed that the sudanophilic lipid granules was found with higher intensities in the seminiferous tubules. The intensities of acid and alkaline phosphatases were decreased. But there was no remarkable change of Δ5-3β HSDH and 17β-HSDH within the seminiferous tubules. The concentration of some biochemical components such as the cholesterol and ascorbic acid within the testicular tissues has been increased than the control value. We conclude that Andrographis paniculata leaf extract can suppress the process of spermatogenesis which can lead to infertility and may be included as a controlling agent in the control of fertility of the rodent pests.