Objective: To investigate the effect of Jiarong Tablets (JRT) on the testicular morphology and function of rats with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH).
Methods: LOH models were established in 8 eighteen-month-old male SD rats, treated intragastrically with distilled water (the model control group, n = 4) or JRT at 0.375 g/kg/d, qd (the JRT group, n = 4), and another 5 two-month-old normal male SD rats were also given distilled water by gavage (normal control group), all for 28 days. Then all the rats were weighed and sacrificed for measurement of the serum T level and pathological and electron microscopic examination of the testis tissue.
Results: Compared with the normal controls, the LOH models showed significantly decreased testis coefficient (P < 0.05) and serum T level (［3.40 ± 0.06］ vs ［5.88 ± 0.46］ ng /ml, P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed in the model control and JRT groups in the body weight and testis coefficient (P > 0.05), but the serum T level (［4.50 ± 0.78］ ng/ml) was remarkably decreased in the latter (P < 0.05). In comparison with the model controls, the rats treated with JRT exhibited increases in the sperm count in the seminiferous tubules and the amount of testicular interstitial cells. Electron microscopy revealed a markedly increased number of mitochondria in the JRT-treated animals, with some mitochondrial sheaths and cristae but no obvious mitochondrial edema.
Conclusions: Jiarong Tablets can elevate the serum T level and improve the testicular morphology and ultrastructure of LOH rats.
Keywords: histomorphology; late-onset hypogonadism; rat; testosterone; ultrastructure; Jiarong Tablets.