The effects of crocin on the serum levels of sex hormone and NO in streptozotocin – induced diabetic rats.

Background and Aim: Diabetes can lead to reduced fertility in men by production of free radicals. Crocin (the effective component&nbsp;of saffron) with its antioxidant property can be effective in elimination of free radicals. We evaluated the effects of crocin on the reproductive parameters of the STZ &ndash;induced diabetic male Wistar rats. Materials and Method: Rats were made diabetic with STZ (55 mg/kg). The rats were divided randomly into 8 groups of seven: control group (normal Saline), STZ induced diabetic group, groups receiving 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg doses of crocin and STZ induced diabetic groups receiving the same doses of the crocin. These animals were kept under experimental conditions for 30 days. LH, FSH, testosterone and insulin hormones are measured .The significance of the results was examined by ANOVA statistical method. Results: Groups receiving crocin and STZ simultaneously showed significant increase (P <0.05) in the levels of LH, FSH, testosterone and insulin hormones compared to the groups receiving STZ. Conclusion: Crocin compensates for the most of degenerative effects of STZ-induced diabetes on the reproductive system of the male rats. It is a rich source of antioxidants and can positively affect most of the reproduction indexes in the rats in a dose depend manner. Keywords: Crocin, Streptozocin, Rat, Diabetes. &nbsp; Received: Nov 21, 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Accepted: Apr 8, 2018