Prevention of seminal vesicle damage by Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens seed extract in chronic unpredictable mild stress mice

Sitthichai Iamsaard; Somboon Kietinun; Jintana Sattayasai; Kingkan Bunluepuech; Alexander Tsang-Hsien Wu; Pannawat Choowong-In

doi:10.1080/13880209.2022.2157018

Prevention of seminal vesicle damage by Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens seed extract in chronic unpredictable mild stress mice

Pharm Biol. 2023 Dec;61(1):89-99. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2157018.

Authors

Sitthichai Iamsaard^{1

2}, Somboon Kietinun³, Jintana Sattayasai⁴, Kingkan Bunluepuech⁵, Alexander Tsang-Hsien Wu^{6

7

8

9}, Pannawat Choowong-In^{5

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
² Research Institute for Human High Performance and Health Promotion (HHP & HP), Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
³ Department of Integrative Medicine, Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
⁵ Department of Applied Thai Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.
⁶ TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ The PhD Program of Translational Medicine, College of Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁸ Clinical Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁹ Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Center of Excellence in Marijuana, Hemp, and Kratom, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

Abstract

Context: Thai Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. pruriens (Fabaceae) or T-MP seed extract has been shown to improve sexual performance and sperm quality.

Objective: This study investigates the preventive effects of T-MP against seminal vesicle damage, apoptotic and Nrf2 protein expression in mice under chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).

Materials and methods: Forty-eight male ICR mice were divided into four groups: control, CUMS, T-MP300 + CUMS and T-MP600 + CUMS. Mice in control and CUMS groups received distilled water, while those in treated groups were pretreated with T-MP extract (300 or 600 mg/kg BW) for 14 consecutive days. The CMUS and co-treated groups were exposed to one random stressor (of 12 total) each day for 43 days. Components and histopathology of the seminal vesicle were examined, along with localization of androgen receptor (AR) and caspase 3. Expression of seminal AR, tyrosine phosphorylated (TyrPho), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), caspases (3 and 9) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) proteins was investigated.

Results: T-MP extract at a dose of 600 mg/kg BW improved seminal epithelial damage and secretion of fluid containing essential substances and proteins in CUMS mice. It also increased the expression of AR and TyrPho proteins. Additionally, T-MP increased expression of Nrf2 and inhibited seminal vesicular apoptosis through the suppression of Hsp70 and caspase expression.

Conclusion: T-MP seeds have an antiapoptotic property in chronic stress seminal vesicle. It is possible to apply this extract for the enhancement of seminal plasma quality.

Keywords: CUMS; Nrf2; Seminal plasma; TyrPho; apoptosis.

MeSH terms

Animals
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred ICR
Mucuna*
NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / metabolism
Plant Extracts* / therapeutic use
Seeds
Seminal Vesicles

Substances

Plant Extracts
NF-E2-Related Factor 2

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Walailak University Research Institute for Health Science (Thailand; Grant No. WU-IRG-65-012) to Dr. Pannawat Choowong-In.