Effect Of Maytenus Ilicifolia Mar.tex. Reiss On Spermatogenesis

The effect of the ethanolic extract of Maytenus ilicifolia Mart.ex. Reiss leaves on spermatogenesis was studied in Swiss mice by evaluating morphological characteristics by light and electron microscopy. The extract was administered at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 20 days, and at a dose of 800 mg/kg/day orally for 30 days. Structural analysis of the germ epithelium showed that treated animals were not noticeably different from control animals. The alterations included some exfoliated immature germ cells, occasional germ cell death (recognized as pyknotic nuclei) and a few vacuolized seminiferous tubules. Ultrastructurally, enlarged lipid droplets were found in Sertoli cells and swollen acrosomes occurred in early spermatids of animals treated with the higher dose. Sperm production indicated that the ethanolic extract of M. ilicifolia leaves did not contain substances sufficient to arrest spermatogenesis. © 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.575 SUPPL.335339Souza-Formigoni, M.L.O., Oliveira, M.G.M., Monteiro, M.G., Silveira-Filho, N.G., Braz, S., Carlini, E.A., Antiulcerogenic effects of two Maytenus species in laboratory animals (1991) J Ethnopharm, 34, pp. 21-27Arenas, P., Moreno Azorero, R., Plants of common use in Paraguayan folk medicine of regulating fertility (1977) Econ Bot, 31, pp. 298-301Arenas, P., Moreno Azorero, R., Plants used as means of abortion, contraception, sterilization and fecundation by Paraguayan indigenous people (1977) Econ Bot, 31, pp. 302-306Martínez-Crovetto, R.M., Plantas reguladoras de la fecundidad utilizadas en la medicina popular del nordeste Argentino (1987) Am Ind, 47, pp. 279-293Joshi, B.C., Antifertility effects of chronically administered Malvaviscus conzatti flower extract on male albino mice (1981) Planta Medica, 41, pp. 74-280Kholkute, S.D., Effect of Hibiscus rosa sinensis on spermatogenesis and accessory reproductive organs in rats (1977) Planta Medica, 31, pp. 127-135Seth, S.D., Antispermatogenic effect of Ocinum sanctum (1981) Indian J Exp Biol, 19, pp. 975-976Sinha, R., Post-testcular antifertility effects of Abrus precatorius seed extract in albino rats (1990) J Ethnopharmacol, 28, pp. 173-181Qian, S.Z., Wang, Z.G., Gossypola potential antifertility agent for males (1984) Ann Rev Pharmacol Toxicol, 24, pp. 329-360Bustos-Obregon, E., Feito, R., The effect of vinblastine sulfate on rat spermatogenesis (1974) Arch Biol, 85, pp. 353-364Dixit, V.P., Lohiya, N.K., Inhibition of spermatogenesis in gerbil (Meriones hurrianae), hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus collaris) and mice after methallibure (ICI 33828) treatment (1974) Arch Biol, 85, pp. 343-352Flickinger, C.J., Effects of clomiphene on the structure of the testis, epididymis and sex accessory glands of the rat (1977) Am J Anat, 149, pp. 553-562Itokawa, H., Shirota, O., Ikuta, H., Morita, H., Takeya, K., Itaka, Y., Triterpenes from Maytenus ilicifolia (1991) Phytochemistry, 30, pp. 3713-3716Oakberg, E.F., A description of spermiogenesis in the mouse and its use in analysis of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium and germ cell renewal (1956) Am J Anat, 99, pp. 391-409Flickinger, C.J., Loving, C.K., Fine structure of the testis and epididymis of rats treated with cyproterone acetate (1976) Am J Anat, 146, pp. 369-384Flickinger, C.J., Effects of testosterone enanthate on the structure of the male reproductive tract of the rat (1978) Anat Rec, 192, pp. 555-584Majumdar, S.K., Udelsman, R., Fine structure of mouse testes following intraperitoneal treatment with 5-thio-D-glucose (1979) J Hered, 70, pp. 194-198Qian, S.Z., Trypterygium wilfordii, a Chinese herb effective in male fertility regulation (1987) Contraception, 36, pp. 335-345Qian, S.Z., Zhong, C.Q., Xu, Y., Effect of Trypterygium wilfordii on the fertility of rats (1986) Contraception, 33, pp. 105-11