Cytoarchitectural improvement in Leydig cells of diabetic rats after treatment with aqueous and ethanol extracts of Dracaena arborea (Dracaenaceae)

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recent studies have demonstrated the androgenic effects of Dracaena arborea in castrated and diabetic rats, but the cytoarchitectural mechanism at the level of Leydig cells (LCs) justifying this improvement in androgens production in diabetic rats has never been examined. We investigated the effects of aqueous and ethanol extracts of D. arborea on diabetes-induced cytoarchitectural impairments of LCs in rats. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: Besides a normal group, 4 groups of diabetic rats were treated orally with Millipore water (10 ml/kg, diabetic), sildenafil citrate (1.44 mg/kg), aqueous (500 mg/kg) and ethanol (100 mg/kg) extracts of D. arborea for 21 days. On day 22, rats were sacrificed and the testes were removed and prepared for electron microscopic analyses of LCs ultrastructure. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The ultrastructure of LCs in control rats was normal, while that in diabetic rats exhibited large heterochromatization in the nuclei, reduced amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum with no lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, many autophagosomes and degenerated mitochondria containing lots of electron dense granules in the matrix. Interestingly, treatment with D. arborea especially its aqueous extract (500 mg/kg) alleviated these impairments, characterized by a rarification of heterochromatization in the nuclei coupled to an increase and the presence in the cytoplasm of prominent smooth endoplasmic reticulum and a reduction of electron dense granules in the matrix of mitochondria. These alleviating properties of D. arborea on LCs ultrastructure of diabetic rats could explain its androgenic potential. These results are useful for the management of patients suffering from diabetes-induced hypogonadism.