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Cordycepin, an Active Constituent of Nutrient Powerhouse and Potential Medicinal Mushroom <i>Cordyceps militaris</i> Linn., Ameliorates Age-Related Testicular Dysfunction in Rats
oleh: Spandana Rajendra Kopalli, Kyu-Min Cha, Sang-Ho Lee, Seock-Yeon Hwang, Young-Joo Lee, Sushruta Koppula, Si-Kwan Kim
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2019-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Age-related male sexual dysfunction covers a wide variety of issues, together with spermatogenic and testicular impairment. In the present work, the effects of cordycepin (COR), an active constituent of a nutrient powerhouse <i>Cordyceps militaris</i> Linn, on senile testicular dysfunction in rats was investigated. The sperm kinematics, antioxidant enzymes, spermatogenic factors, sex hormone receptors, histone deacetylating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and autophagy-related mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) expression in aged rat testes were evaluated. Sprague Dawley rats were divided into young control (2-month-old; YC), aged control (12-month-old; AC), and aged plus COR-treated groups (5 (COR-5), 10 (COR-10), and 20 (COR-20) mg/kg). The AC group showed reduced sperm kinematics and altered testicular histomorphology compared with the YC group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). However, compared with the AC group, the COR-treated group exhibited improved sperm motility, progressiveness, and average path/straight line velocity (<i>p</i> < 0.05–0.01). Alterations in spermatogenesis-related protein and mRNA expression were significantly ameliorated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in the COR-20 group compared with the AC group. The altered histone deacetylating SIRT1 and autophagy-related mTORC1 molecular expression in aged rats were restored in the COR-20 group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In conclusion, the results suggest that COR holds immense nutritional potential and therapeutic value in ameliorating age-related male sexual dysfunctions.