Moringa Oleifera Protects Against Fluoxetine Induced Damage to the Basement Membrane of the Seminiferous Tubules in Adult Male Rats

• Published in: J. Islamic Int. Med. Coll. 2024-12, Vol.19 (4), p.234-239
• Main Author: Ayesha Ali , Abdullah Qamar , Arsalan Manzoor Mughal , Farhan Akhtar , Rabya Khalid , Ayesha Fatima
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: basement membrane; fluoxetine; moringa oleifera; spermatogenesis; testis
• ISSN: 1815-4018; 2410-5422
• DOI: 10.57234/jiimc.december24.1788

Objective: To explore the protective effects of fluoxetine and moringa oleifera on the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules in the adult male rat testis. Study Design: Randomized Experimental Study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Anatomy Department of Army Medical College,National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) Rawalpindi, in collaboration with the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIH) Islamabad and Pak Emirates Military Hospital (PEMH) Rawalpindi, from 1 June 2022 to 1 May 2023. Materials and Methods: Thirty male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 300 ± 50 grams with no obvious gross abnormality were randomly divided into three groups (n=10). Daily doses were administered via oral gavage for 8 weeks. The group A (control) received distilled water. The group B (experimental) received fluoxetine at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day, and the group C (experimental) was given moringa oleifera powder at a dose of 50 mg/30 g body weight. The rats were sacrificed and the disruption of the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules was assessed using a scoring system (0 to 3). The significance was calculated using cross tabs by applying ChiSquare test using SPSS version 22. The p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Group A rats had no disruption of basement membrane. In group B, 50% of specimens exhibited severe disruption, 40% had moderate disruption, and 10% had slight disruption. In group C, 10% of specimens showed moderate disruption, 30% showed slight disruption, and 60% had no disruption. A statistically significant difference was observed between groups B and C (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Fluoxetine significantly disrupts the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules, adversely affecting spermatogenesis. Conversely, moringa oleifera demonstrates a protective effect against such disruptions indicating its potential therapeutic use.