Potential protective effect on key steroidogenesis and metabolic enzymes and sperm abnormalities by fenugreek steroids in testis and epididymis of surviving diabetic rats.

The current study showed that the daily oral treatment of fenugreek steroids, designated F(steroids), to diabetic rats during 30 days demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) decrease of blood glucose level and a considerable increase of the area of insulin-immunoreactive beta-cells in diabetic rats. Interestingly, this study showed that F(steroids) potentially unregulated the key steroidogenesis enzymes such as 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase), malic enzyme, 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH) activities as cholesterol rate in testis, which considerably enhanced testosterone and estradiol levels in the plasma of surviving diabetic rats. More interestingly, F(steroids) obviously prevented the alteration of the key carbohydrate enzymes such as hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activities as well as testicular glycogen and seminal fructose contents in surviving diabetic rats. Furthermore, F(steroids) administration to surviving diabetic rats significantly decreased the sperm shape abnormality and improved the sperm count. Above all, the potential protective action of reproductive systems was approved by the histological study of testis and epididymis.